Ah My Goddess Fan Fiction ❯ Valkyrie's Knight ❯ Prolouge II ( Prologue )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

-Day 24,781 - Einherjar Fields-

The sounds of two giggling child goddesses, no more than the age of a seven year old pair, came flying by as they played some kind of runabout tag and catch, or something similar, as they lost track of where they were. Since all of Heaven was open, most places accessible without much restriction, it was rare for much worry for anyone to find a place where they would have trouble for being in.

Even Almighty liked an occasional interruption by a squabble of kith-goddesses that played their youthful joy out. If any place was to be off limits, it would be where steerage was put in, in some way. Still, there are times when even the lost of track can lead to a chance encounter ‘not’ meant for.

The two flew after each other around and around with limitless energy of both the young and the infinite, as they unknowingly pass through this same covered walkway of note. As they reach the ledge of this area, their shorter perspectives causes one of them to suddenly realize the stark contrast of scenery all around to their fore.

This of course causes one of them to nearly trip into the other, as the first stops. “Hey! Watch where you’re going Bell.” ...a slightly older sister yelps, before seeing it all as well. “Wow.”

“I don’t think we should be here Urd, this feels scary.” ...the young goddess says very jittery. Urd however just takes one good look around and says. “Oh wow COOL! This is Thor’s place! Where’s all the fighting at?”

Bell just teardrops and looks over nervously. “I don’t think that is what the other goddesses like to hear.”

Urd just dryly puts back. “What? Can’t a child goddess have any fun? Eh? Who’s that?”

Bell looks around for a second. “Where?” ...before having her head turned by Urd to the far right, just past some colonnade stacks. “There, isn’t that a Valkyrie?” Bell sees and wonders a second worry all of a sudden.

Somewhere behind them some voice is starting to be barely heard, but all of this combined is struck hard to a singular point by the voice of a ‘very’ angry sounding god.

“: YOU CALL THAT YOUR BEST SKILL?!? YOU STILL HOLD A WEAK HILT YOU SORRY FOOL!! TO THE FIELD WITH YOU!!! :” …this echoing all around for apparently forever as Bell and Urd hold their ears. (and one other looking on winces under the vocal pressure alone.) Urd just yelps with confused anime eyes. “Dang that was loud.”

“Can we go now Sis?” Bell pleads, just before suddenly something is very reverberantly SLAMMED out from the Chamber’s of Valor, hence within was Thor’s lair, all the way out in a ball of armor and flapping cape and robes of blue and white agleam. Bell and Urd see this with their all too youthful eyes as the crumpled up form suddenly manages to reorient itself in midair and come down on a sliding three stance with a hand fourth holding a decent sized sword, one with a hilt that could make it a halberd instead.

The figure manages to set stance defensive just in split timing before a larger effidice of a god charges out in a high leap and heavy thud to cause shaken ground undertrodden. Urd and Bell gasp as they see Thor in person for the first time, up close and personal all, for their parts. The hammer and all his great glory present for Urd to drool over.

A slight moment of silence later, Urd finally yelps back to Bell, though just as openly... “I ain’t going ANYWHERE now Sis!”

Movement off the afar, far left sees Rand, Hirund and Mist appear amid their flowing white robes each, just before voice from the tossed about one remarks loudly. “Remind me to word me phrases of answer better next time.”

“: IF THAR BE ONE NAÏVE!  :” ...the War God and Master roars as he leaps forth at the far smaller looking being. Urd sees this with personal glee, Bell hiding her sight within her arms, before seeing to their youthful shock, the other armed being do likewise without hesitation!

One other off the far right sees this and blinks.

The clash of steel that comes after billows a heavy air burst, one that pushes both young goddesses to their hinnies, and the others seeing this barely hold their own stance. Unseen in this is where the defender becomes aggressor, and swipes his weapon to Thor’s left, the god zipping out of the way, with the robed one in swift pursuit. Urd looks up in time and has to look around for the two, finding sight by loud clashing sound to the far fore, and then looking around again as this happens several more times, as metal slams into metal.

Hirund manages to keep up through her raised arms, the debris of celestial foliage flying about again. She yells out between heavy clashes... “I think we need to make another cheat sheet for the poor bloke the next time.” Rend just snickers loudly with her own arms blocking flying rubbish and sparks. (yes sparks...) “No good this time. I think Master was pissed after that last session in Council today and wanted to spar, no matter what the cause.”

The three generals look up as the parries begin to raise higher and higher into the infinite blue sky, pushing holes into the clouds above as strokes exchange. Mist seeing more clearly as combat rises higher yet more, comments... “I sense ‘he’ knew of better as well. Huh? He caught up again already.”

All their far better vision keeps managing to track as Thor starts to see his current prize student of this frequency domain chase after him instead of cowering in defense. Not only this of that, but managing to turn the momentum tables several times by this tactic of  forcing the War God high on up. Enough that even the System Administrators register this on their screens again.

However the ancient god has enough of this when he blocks a hard upswing parry and SHOVES the momentum back down so hard, his opponent’s bones actually crink. This unto and before a twirl swing of the Great Hammer with a heavy bolt of lightning charged up from the high atmosphere present, on call, all of it slammed of second time into the blade and body of the Squire, zapping the mortal rather dearly (again.)

This shows from below as a powerful bolt explosion that sends the armored mortal screaming down to the ground.

Urd is gape in awe and sheer battle joy, as Bell sees with bravery and holds her hands to her young mouth. This all as the armored Squire seems to slam hard into the ground, with great clouds of dust in such wake. Bell hides her face again as Urd stumbles from leaning forward in awe too much and nearly tumbles over in her tunnel visional state.

Hirund of her area of sight comments... “Score another for... HUH!?” ...stopped dead short as suddenly a blur zips back up from the dust cloud. “He survived that one!?” ...Hirund actually finished. As her two compatriots have their head dead up in angle, gape mouths rather visible. (Urd is looking the same as well in fact.)

Thor in his descending state, rushing through swirling cloud wisps, see this counteract and bah chuckles in a single laugh. “: HAH, I AM... :” ...this as the mortal reaches him, just as Thor then WIDE angle sweeps his hammer into a vicious down arc, one that the mortal barely has time to catch in parry in time. However momentum alone from such a devastating retort sends the Squire right back down to an angled left, this with... “: ...IMPRESSED!! :”

This shot sends the mortal dead at the two young child goddesses, this as Bell reflexively cowers in a ball as Urd looks this time in wide pip eyed shock. The Squire however catches a ‘bare’ end of the overhead ledge, causing the overhead cover of the walkway above the two goddesses to crack greatly, with the mortal using it as leverage to hop down to the ground for a split moment.

“Bell! Urd!” ...the two young goddesses turn around as a brown haired goddess nanny appears frantically, as Bell hops back up ‘rather’ calmly. “Nanny!” ...  “Aww man!” Urd decries, just before a grunt catches attention, with a blast of backtracked wind, the now trio looking as the armored Squire saw Thor landing and pushes hard to reach him within two body twirls to bring great momentum to his next attack on the War God.

As the Nanny reaches the two child deities, a gargantuan expected clang sounds as the Squire parries unto the Mighty Hammer again, then forcing close quarters melee for the next six deliberate swings.

Rend judges this and to her bemusement comments... “Is it me or is that Squire pushing it more than usual today?”

“Or up another notch finally. That last chamber session I’d wager.”

Thor for his part is in absolute war lust with glee as he sees his prodigy improve much better this time than he expected, a slight boost in the War God judgeometer than he anticipated. He took several side and overhead to backswing and twirl swing parries before shoving the Squire off, and backtracking to push footing in deep. What more he saw the mortal losing all fear of him, as well as all of his tricks, this as the mortal pushed off angled sidestep to Thor’s right, and clashed again just as the ancient god got his footing.

Mist commented for her part of summation. “I think he’s ready for the trials.” Hirund however interjects. “Not if he can’t pass the social tests. Man he’s having trouble there.”

Rend just however smirks and shakes her black mane... “It might not come to it.” ...and blinks, noting something ‘clearly’ else in sight, something on the top of a pillar of marble that has been watching this whole time. “She came again apparently.”

Hirund and Mist manage to find where Rend is looking. They see Lind once more, all too clearly. (At least for them anyway.) The three snicker to themselves a bit, just as Mist sees something else off to her far right. “Huh? Who are they?” The other two look with a start, just before a sudden loud screeching sound clamps their ears. They look to see the mortal suddenly pushing a rather awkward angle with his blade unto the Mighty Hammer, making even Thor wince a tic.

“: Pardon pup! That’ll ruin my surface finish! :” ...as the ancient Master shoves back more conventionally. The mortal however hoped for that and flips his blade flat unto the hammer length, and slid the edge at Thor’s right hand.

The god took the cut, but the mortal continued and slipped the blade again into a flip, using the weird sight of  blood flow to slide it with, clearing the hand and gashing the blade into the hammer bulk at the head base. Thor lost grip for a split moment and the mortal moved as fast as his body allowed to lose his blade grip and suddenly flat palm both hands.

The sudden and vicious thrust up surprises Thor and knocks his thick chin back very hard, causing both weapons to fly off to their mutual left.

“He got him!” Rend yelps in shock, just before the mortal tries to deliver a successive knee thrust to the chest.

It never connects, as Thor proves his replete (uh...) nature, by suddenly shoving his face down and literally belching a bad wind (as hard as a real wind at that,) into the mortal’s face, causing him to be thrown back and tumble into a hard slide towards the nominal kith-goddesses of present.

As the slide begins, Urd holds her nose along with Bell and the Nanny goddess. Urd complains. “Man that stinks.” ... “Eww.” Bell just remarks. The Nanny looks all green for her part.

The three Generals for their part look kinda sick for a moment. “That was... conventional.” ...Mist put in a puke sensing tone. Lind from the other side of the field just looks on blankly.

Thor then breathes in deeply as he sets to laugh, as the mortal slows to a stop near the trio at the entrance. He just looks all frazzled and sick as he wobbles out in tone... “WeLl tHAt iS a NeW oNe.” ...and then Thor laughs heartily. “: How was my special attack for ya pup? :” ...and more hearty laughs.

The mortal just tilts his head up to his chin touching chest bone. “I think you need a better after mint old bean boy.”

Thor stops laughing and tilts his head. Afar, Rend just sighs. “Better get the stretcher ready again.”

“: Very well then. :” ...Thor imparts to his easily bruised ego, and starts with a thick stride towards his quarry. The mortal sees this and rolls to get up, and upon reaching all fours, sees the three goddesses, meeting their rather mixed eyes of fear, awe and putrid glances. Quickly the mortal realizes what could happen, and pushes hard to turn to his feet in facing Thor’s approach! “Wait! Wait ONE!”

“: Begging won’t help you child! :”

“This tis no BEG!” ...he says seeing Thor pull his hammer back into his healed hands, (nice god like cheat.)  The mortal is forced to focus his own powers to pull at the metal sword he threw aside in the same taught manner, and manages to catch and swivel the blade up in time to catch...

...this as Bell ‘and’ Urd glom fearfully onto their equally fear laden Nanny, just as Thor Swings his hammer overhead HARD into the mortal’s barely erected blade defense stance. The mortal buckles so hard, his knees snap solid in place for a seriously painful moment.

Mist sees what is going on and screams out. “MASTER WAIT!! WAIT!!!”

As Thor is momentarily blinded by the ‘prod’ to his ego, and resultant attempt to teach a lesson again, the mortal holds his position to keep the stroke effects from reaching the terror stricken goddesses behind him. Lind from afar sees all this as well and is just about to leap into the fray herself to help stop Thor’s blind rage, before seeing someone else appear.

This up close, something behind the mortal reaches out with a hand and flicks a finger into Thor’s melon.

“: OWOWOWOWOWOWWIEOWIEOWIE!!! :” ...the War God whines as he stumbles back a bit, before roaring back at the author of that ‘strike’. “: Who dares my ire in such an impudent... eh? Oh. :”

The mortal feels a lot of pain in his body at that moment, but manages to realize it is over for the moment, and turns his seriously stiff neck to see, as Thor sees fully... “I would appreciate it if you did not harm my charges Councilor.” ...as Goddess Gaea stiffly chides the War God. Thor blinks and then considers to see behind the mortal, at the recovering trio that meets Thor’s gaze.

“: Oh. :” ...is all he says as the three Generals float-rush close in. “Lady Gaea.” ...Hirund yells as Gaea looks over at the two young goddesses. “Are any of you hurt?”

“No milady. / Nu uuh.” Bell and Urd reply quickly. Gaea notes neither of them are far too frazzled, Urd a bit too less for Gaea’s comfort. Mist meanwhile huffs. “Really Master, you still have that problem.”

“: What of it? :” Thor simply huffs, not one to admit wrongdoing. (Ever...) As Gaea then turns to the sound of cricking, rattling bones. “Oh dear.”

“Pain... great... pain.” ...the mortal whines before thumping to the ground, his entire body one stiff board of pain and anguish. Gaea and the Nanny teardrop as Thor sighs and walks over to yank the mortal back to his feet. “: Now now, no weakness in front of others. :” ...which snaps the mortal’s bones back in reasonable place.

Gaea does however comment. “I’d hardly call what he did a weakness. The Admins saw it all you know. You two make the system haywire anymore in this Hub oversight frequency spectrum. At least ‘he’ noticed what was going on and tried to stop it.” Thor just pucks his lips and blandly retorts. “: Well he started it. :” ...this just makes the mortal groan.

Just then Urd just shouts out. “Who cares! That was all so cool to watch!” ...with Bell chiding nervously. “Urd.” ...Whit a chuckle from the War God. “: Oh alright, my ego got the better of me again. That wretched session didn’t help matters., that I tell you. :”

Gaea looked over and gave a ‘nod’ to the Nanny as she comments over to Thor. “Things not going well on the battle front?”

Thor dryly retorts. “: If it were that well, I wouldn’t be in so foul a mood. :”

The mortal just cocks an eye. “When aren’t you? -CLANG- ...sORry...” ...to the actual amusement of the kith-goddesses. Thor lifts his hammer back off the mortal’s head and quips. “: If only the Council would allow me to deal with this problem ‘my’ way. Those damn Demons would never recover, such is their insolence. :”

Gaea, knowing what is being talked about, the others not as clued in, retorts. “Your methods would only lead to a war not wanted. Details meant 'only' for the Council. I suggest you keep your venting on this mortal here, at least he can handle you better than most of us can, at the moment.”

Thor just looks and considers, and then laughs out loud, giving a good ‘THWAP’ to the mortal’s already pain soaked back. “: Isn’t he a peach though for such? :”

The mortal just angles a look at the Generals. “Will you ‘stop’ telling him such things?” ...the three just giggle. He also hears a couple from the young goddesses and gives a smile. (However such he can.)

Thor just refocuses on the mortal and gives a nudge. “: Okay, take five. :” ...as he is shoved towards the open field to regain feeling in his body again. Meanwhile Gaea chides Urd and Bell on their safety, before sending them off with their Nanny, while the Generals are sent to follow the mortal so that Thor and Gaea can chat in private for a further moment.

Meanwhile the mortal cracks several bones back into less sore place, and stretches out, sniffing his singed skin again. “Ugh, I’ll be feeling it again later.”

As he goes through a nominal stretching exercise, he gives a glance in a few directions, wondering, and then seeing along the rows of colonnades one certain figure. “Eh? Lind again?” ...this just before she hops once and zips off suddenly, though not with haste. The mortal sees this and sighs in hinted dejection again. This causes Rend to lean over and drape her black hair all around the suddenly pensive mortal.

“Did your goddessfriend come to see you again today lover mortal?”

Said Squire just groans and shifts in discomfort. “Uh, she’s n... no she’s not...  not my...”

Mist just giggles as Rend continues... “Now now, remember what we have tried to teach you about your social responsibilities. It’s not a bad thing anyway, at least you are ‘looking’ at someone. (Wish I got that look from someone.)”

The Squire however gulps more than a few times as his nervousness continues. “But... b... but it’s not like I mean to...”

Hirund just shakes her head. “I think your blaring body language is speaking more than you are kid. Might want to listen to it.”

Mortal guy finally pulls away from Rend and stutters... “I’m supposed to be more noble than that. I mean, shouldn’t one of you come to me first if it’s really for formal courting?” ...this Mist snickers and flutters her silver mane around. “I think you need your eyes adjusted, not to mention that dumb standard. I think that should be obvious after the last few months of the system, if you can catch my data stream upload.”

The mortal sighed and looked down, sensing, but not really ‘ready’ to go further with it. The goddesses however had about enough of this, and mentally began to interlope a plan once again. However this all is interrupted again as from afar, Thor suddenly hefts his hammer again. “: Break time is over pup. :” ...this as Gaea groans. “Oh good Almighty.”

The mortal blinks and complains. “Huh? It hasn’t even been five minutes yet. Not even two actually.”

Thor somehow manages to ‘cock’ the shaft of his hammer to give a shotgun like sound, in response. “: Indeed. :” ...and then hefts it...

The mortal sees the three Generals shift away fast, as he yelps. “Wait a dang moment, I don’t even...” ...looking around for his weapon. “...will you... HEY, I SAID I... YAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” -CLANG-

--------------------

-Time further on...-

It had been over sixty years since he began this phase of training. Learning much hadn’t even come close to what life experiences and changes the mortal went through, under the rather direct and unyielding tutelage of the God of War. The armory was used daily, at least a third of the hundreds of thousands of immediately accessible weapons available used and learned, many of them done in the stasis chambers, the temporal devices allowing the one hour per day used to pass a year’s worth for pure melee and martial doctrine between the god and the mortal.

To be sure, the Master of the War Section attended to other trainees and had time yet for Council sessions, given his multiplanar abilities, akin to being a direct creation of the Almighty, unlike most of the goddesses  and gods. Given the mortal existed as a singular entity in a singular subspace frequency state amidst the spatial dimensionalization  of the vast Intracellic Planes, this allowed Thor and the mortal singular contact. One that was impressed upon with growing urgency from the Almighty One, though not given for reason or even word to the mortal at all.

A secret was brewing at hand, and Thor ensured that whatever may what come, the mortal would be a Knight by the time the true test came.

The Consortium Academy and College regimens were wedged in after the first ‘morning hour’ in the chamber, with classes that even First Class goddesses took, even though the mortal wasn’t as efficient in absorbing the data at hand. Still, the mortal was allowed a good learning curve, and gave back by demonstrating mortal conception of thought for the same material, giving a different viewpoint the other goddesses and gods could gain eccentric insight.

The social interactions however were proving the most difficult for the young mortal, as trying to interact socially with the deities proved troublesome, mostly from the fact the goddesses found him too ‘fragile’, when it came to doing more than talk. Thor was impressing that ‘all’ kinds of social interaction was needed, so as to not be intimidated by the System Admins on ‘any’ level, under any kind of situation. As it was, results were mixed, and the mortal was still treated ‘inferior’ by the celestials around him.

However it wasn’t enough that to antagonize him, but it didn’t all make for close friendships. Those that did seemed to be chastised for ‘liking’ the bloke too much, something treated as taboo, enough to cause this troublesome aspect. It was a weird and difficult to describe quandary that didn’t seem to be resolving itself any time soon.

The operational forays however were a major high data stream mark, as Thor would send the mortal on missions and tasks with both the Valkyries and the goddesses in general. In this the mortal proved equal, especially as skill training progressed. In so doing, diplomacy and other non-military skills improved, as did the mortal’s knowledge of the other planes, including more and more of his old world on the third-dimensional plane. The mortal learned of the tragedies of the world after his death, and the strains it went through, all the way up to the end of the Cold War period. The mortal was shocked how destructive his own civilization had become in so short a time. This became further insight that helped the System Admins to adjust the System to the current world. (He also gained insight to a certain book that would play a role in the years to come.)

In a way, the mortal was a portal to understanding the mortal realms better, while the mortal learned all there was about other worlds, as experience progressed. This also proved to help understand another matter that kept cropping up from time to time. The young Squire began to learn hints of this, deliberately leaked, at Thor’s occasional ‘slips’, of this growing threat.

As hoped, the presumption of the Wish and personal feelings, drove training even harder. So much so that on the 24,780th day, Thor set up for the following day, such of instead of conducting chamber training, he’d ask a simple question.

“: What is your best skill up to this day? :”

The mortal considered in the lair of the mighty Master, and answered. “Well, my sword skill I’d say, I mean it’s...” ...the yell after and the duel with it that Bell and Urd witnessed, was the result. Thor didn’t get the answer he seeked.

When the mortal however protected the innocent trio from Thor’s attack, and saw the results afterwards, one of the comments he gave to Gaea in that moment before he threw his hammer, was... “: The boy is not a Squire anymore. I have made him his knight, as he wished. :”

Gaea blinked and then watched the brutal spar afterwards, noting the accouterments the mortal had attained. The Celestial Armor from a dragon cave, cape and robes that soaked in celestial energy from a problematic mage, cleansed by the same Squire afterwards within Heaven. Also unseen, a staff of angelic energy and crafting a gift from an admirer within Heaven, of great note. (Most likely Almighty Itself, but could be from Ere for the Admin knew. (Hints came from all kinds of places in Heaven.) ) Also included, a Necklace and bracers from a fallen avatar he helped ‘save’. The mortal saving the soul before the body destroyed it, as such was. Of anything, what was missing was a true weapon for a knight.

Gaea had kept track over time, as soon as the plan was coalesced from the Almighty’s infinite Will, of this mortal, as it seemed the ristar of a being would play a major role in it. This depending on how things go, when the next Wish ‘incident’ ever came. She wasn’t very comfortable with using a Valkyrie as a ‘bait’ for an offering from the Goddess Help Office. If things went wrong, a ‘lot’ of goddesses would lose sleep.

The one considered was very dear to many of the goddesses, Valkyrie and norms alike.

As the spar ended, she realized she needed a drink. Celestials knew of hard drinks, when such was called for.

--------------------

After the spar ended, another set of problems began to come to light.

--------------------

"You went again."

The usually austere Valkyrie stopped midflight, looking back simply at her sister. Lind however looked at her... "And you're out of uniform again Jora." ...this as the Valkyrie Second Class (almost a First herself,) just rolled her eyes. The upper jumpsuit jacket foregone again for a simple 'sports-bra' like version, the lower as uniform usual as normal. The details are quickly dismissed however... "At least I know when to relax.

Maybe a Goddess First Class to be, should realize that kind of a truth."

"I know my own truths, thank you." Lind snips back. Jora just shakes her head again. "Not if you think you can keep hiding your feelings. Maybe you haven't checked the Angelvine lately Sis? Goddesses and even Spirits are starting to talk. (Maybe the Seraphim and Petitioners too.)'

Lind just shoved all that aside, a bit too readily. "I don't indulge in the same entertainment that you do, apparently." ...the terse mention of this statement, making Jora bite her lip some. Jora just then shrugged back. "Fine, be all that as it may, you might want to keep mindful of it today."

Little else was said there, both knew the angel egg ceremony was upon Lind. It was one of a number of things weighing on her own mind lately. She tried to keep to her standard format. "In any other case, my life is not necessarily open for others to pry into. I would expect the same respect I give unto all others."

"You're mistaking us." ...Jora puts suddenly. Lind looks back, not realizing how pensive she was becoming. Jora comes up and puts her hands to Lind's shoulders. "We just want you to be happy. The same we goddesses ever want for each other."

Lind nods, not quite betraying a smirk, but relenting enough for... "And I sense you gained mother's traits there better than I."

"And of you our father."

Lind stiffens some there. "Of things even I am not sure of." ...a discontinuity in her code that was part of many deep sentiments that would format all too clearly. Jora just sighs, and then spins Lind about. "Well, off with ye then to find your soul."

Lind just grumbled about that, more the wrong way than intended. The sojourn forth didn't get much better. At least until she thought of him... again...

--------------------

“Today or never mortal.”

Said Squire blinked as he applied healing cream to his well bruised shoulders. “Why never?”

Rend about popped him one, but then changed tact and commented. “I think it is time you begin courting one of us, and for serious this time, even if it makes for frowns by other celestials. It’s important for you to fully appreciate what you are a part of, and you can’t do that as some sulking squire without a damsel to share all life with.”

He just cocked an eye and sighed... “What if the blade is all I am supposed to know?”

Rend just frazzled and growled... “A Knight of the Force you are not! Or whatever you call them. Our way for ‘you’ put this as solemn law in all intent. If you can’t understand why fully we are impressing this, then your ability to truly exist and assist the System in your eventual solace from us will be for naught.”

“How romantic.” ...he grumbles as Rend fights down an urge to zap him. He however comments... “Besides, you know what happened last time I tried to do just that.”

Rend blinks, and then slits her eyes. “Gee, and someone seemed to start coming to sessions not very long after that incident. Cannot your mind do addition of more than just numerations? I think Lind already ‘has’.”

The mortal loses emotional control for a split second, and turns away. Rend makes a hand stab at his turned back and... “AhAH! See you have of note? Maybe I should jog your mind of that memory indeed.”

The mortal spins around and yells. “I remember that day, blast all things of it all!” ...he sharply informs, before dropping tone greatly as he reflexively remembers... “Remind me not, I see too ‘clearly’ still. Dear Kami so I do.”

--------------------

-Three months ago - Goddess Mall-

Needless said, another beautiful day in this vast expanse of celestial commerce, in place mainly for the comfort and stress relief of the goddesses and gods that support the main System hubs, rather than a place for true monetary exchange. Only true miser deities worry about such things anyway, all others just enjoy in the air and bask of others, away from said stressful duties. (Still the Angelbeads kept flowing here like milk and honey nevertheless.)

As it is not too far away from the Academies and Training Centers as well, it’s a total melting cauldron of celestial gossip and golden grapevine. Here another ‘training’ foray for the Squire and by order from the Generals again, such a strange order it was. One that he actually intended to follow of this time, to through truth and result.

He didn’t know why, but he had to know. How did Lind feel about him. Or even, if she ‘knew’ he existed, at the very least. It had been gnawing at him ever since that one day another two months prior, as the Valkyries made a field trip to witness a sparring session between the Squire and Thor, this in the middle of a free for all battle melee between tons of Petitioner souls Thor oversaw. Boy, that had been a wild day. The mortal had in the middle of the battle, seen Lind watching ‘him’, so it seemed he wished/suspected, before a blindsided mace clocked him as he wasn’t looking, a sin in Thor’s demanding eyes. The dressing down Thor gave him ‘with’ the Valkyries watching didn’t help matters much.

And now he was there, in that Mall, to get an answer. Or so he hoped. He arrived some time ago, with a stuffed pouch of Angelbeads and a decently empty stomach. After about a half-hour or so of just walking around, enduring more glances from just about ever dang immortal he passed by, (not a fallacy in fact,) he sighed and didn’t see his goal in sight. This though he had been promised by Rend (yes her again,) that Lind would show up or such, how wasn't alluded to. As if he wasn’t uncomfortable with all this, without something being staged ‘for’ him. He just went to a food court and acquired an Angelfruit pastry and fruit juice (1000% concentrate...) to quiet his nervous tummy, and found what he thought was a relatively empty table area.

At least it was, when until he sat down and the left set of tables that were empty a moment ago, were suddenly somehow filled with four goddesses. And then the right and rear just as fast. The mortal just ‘urked’ and looked around wildly for a moment. “But... wha... but... huh...?”

“Oh hi there, nice day isn’t it?” ...a teal headed deity smiled to him with. He just felt nervous and replied. “Aye, though it never is a bad day here.” ...the goddesses all around him just giggled and chatted in low Yggdrasil codespeech in their version of gossip, as he just moaned and sighed, looking for a rock to hide under somewhere... anywhere...

He took one bite of the pastry and then wiped his chin with a glowing cloth napkin when... “Huh? Isn’t that Lind?” ...one of the goddesses to his right (and rear too in fact...) quipped as he jerked his head up and gulped  a bit hard, causing a reflexive cough as he saw, then lost sight to gulp down properly, before looking blankly at, indeed, the goddess-lass he seeked.

Lind had a simple syrup drink in her right hand and the other behind her back, looking rather ‘level’ at him, as he blinked about three thousand times or so. Tis was a strange and awkward moment, one broken as Lind simply asked in her usual direct manner. “May I sit here mortal?”

For her part, she had heard from her cadre of ‘interest’ afoot from this quarter, and was nudged by the others to ‘check him out’, as it were. She only agreed on her own private whims, and here she was, to the amazement of the mortal’s blank eyes. Ones that kept acting too glossy and all, to his disbelief furthered, for a bit too long. Lind grew a tic more impatient than she should have otherwise, and softly pushed... “Well?”

The mortal realized and started stuttering like an incoherent Demon. “...well, I... ya... um... you... I... uh... um...”

Lind closed her eyes and made no sound, before... “I see. Excuse me.”

At that, Lind tapped floated off ahead, just as the mortal realizes to his horror and yelps. “W... wait! Wait Lind! I...” ...a bit too late, as she zips off without any further apparent note. This leaves the numb mortal to endure glances and chatter from the goddesses that realize the moment they just saw. The ones on the left comment over... “Smooth one egg-child.”

The mortal just groans and thunks his head unto the table below him, making everything on it hop once. “-muffled- Why me?” This causes the goddesses to giggle again all around him. They then wince, as suddenly they see to their wide eyed surprise, the mortal take a fork from on the tray he had used, and stab himself in the hand unseen with it. “Yeowch.” ...from the same prior teal tressed goddess.

As he sniffled in a whimper of both lost chance, and pain (aye pain,) a goddess leans in on over and quips. “You might want to sterilize that before you take that fork back.”

This just makes the mortal moan in dejection (and pain) just that much more.

--------------------

Rend just snickers and then sighs as she smacks the mortal on the back once, which doesn’t help the bad welt there any. “Well, when you fall, you learn to pick your shattered and burnt ward carcass from such said sorry state and try again. Trust us, it does your soul good to recover from such traumas.” …put in a less than serious tone that really rubs it all in. The mortal just growls a touch and steps away for a moment.

Rend sighs again and put in more seriously. “But I’m serious about this Squire. What is imperative to us for you as standards, is also greatly important for us as well for reasons rather hard to describe. It’s like those angel ceremonies you have witnessed. A goddess soul must trust all they have and being to their angel, where such strength grows for both benefit. It’s the same criteria that exists in Heaven for much of the most part. For you, your version is to merge your trust unto us in every way that is possible. Your walls of your soul don’t truly help us, whether you realize this or nay.”

The Squire takes a cube like object from a white angelic monikered dresser and rolls it in his hands in nervousness, considering his next words. He speaks them without turning. “But do you all trust ‘me’?” ...he says with a sigh, another fit of self doubt striking. “I still can’t help it, that all the chatter behind my rump has more within where my ears are not laden. I fear I may not get in kind what you are asking me to give. Maybe that is why my heart has so many walls.”

Rend listens and only shrugs. “I dare say nether are we so perfect than you, beneath the Lord’s essence. But trust is one thing that helps make us goddesses, and stands out amongst you mortals. I sense you once beheld this in enough measure to give your life. I imagine therefore you can do likewise for us, without a traumatic event to force such a hand. Such is a failing of your world, sad that many must die before lessons are learned. I hope you are willing for less a measure for us, since to be sure, there is great respect for you amongst the Heavens.”

The mortal however struck back... “Is that a respect because of me? Or because I have been under Thor’s mighty gaze for all this time? I ‘can’ tell a difference.”

Rend rolled her eyes but understood that problem all too well, so she decided to end this roundabout chat with a simple... “Still, you ‘are’ required of this, even if I must order it. I would rather not. And despite your history, she ‘has’ been present for all this time since that one day. Again, must I...”

The mortal turns and waves a dismissive hand. “Nay, I get the download. Though, where to find her this time should be mine alone. Without any prodding from the peanut gallery, what say you?”

Rend moans and waves her own dismissive hand. “Aye, fine that be. Though you may need to wait on such a thing, if I heard right.” The mortal blinks. “Huh? I’m ordered, but can’t do it yet? Why nay so?”

Rend smirks and remarks. “Well, let's say thus that whence you do meet, she will have changed much.”

He considered what ‘that’ meant.

--------------------

No one knew what was to becometh next. Not even closest of kin.

A well lit chamber, bathed in the aura of light, a private moment before a mirror and a small egg on a pillow below the Second Class, almost First Class Valkyrie. The table of pearl and milk white stone, gold edge laden and all, is the only other accouterment. It was a simple chamber of more size than needed, not relatively unique, simply one chosen with the drapes of white silk flowing with a gentle breeze from outside.

She decided it had been her time, it felt proper to her, but terribly emotional to prepare for. She tried to talk to others, family of uneasy part at times, but her nature was simply too introverted to really get answers she wanted. Plus she wasn’t sure what was being said was fantasy anyway. She never could trust the fact that an angel had to be such, when their Valkyrie 'parent' was bred for war, a vein that trust had a hard time finding veins at all. Lind felt it took more strength, than trust, to be a Valkyrie. As she stood there before her egg, she however had doubts of ‘what’ to think. She had plenty of time, every ceremony was a spiritual experience that sometimes was even allayed once or twice. Facing your own true self after all, wasn’t easy to do. Sometimes balks were inevitable.

However she didn’t care for doing such a thing. Lind wanted to know. She felt she had too. Only then could she consider what to do next with her training, and her life as a Valkyrie. At this, she took the egg gently into her hands. She steeled herself for not going back, and then calmed herself as she was told by Phosus. She then prayed to Almighty for guidance and took a gentle breath.

...and then she ingested it.

The result began the legend that would haunt her for years to come. She felt something odd occur within her soul at the moment after merging, and felt afraid. She then called with all her need and might for her angel to come forth. And so done, so she thought, and saw with the first peer of opened eye. One that turned to shock and dismay a moment later as she saw more of what was missing than what was there.

The problem with Heaven was that everything was linked, especially once ceremonies took place, so she ‘knew’ as soon as she saw only one wing, everyone else would soon know all too readily. Rumor mill would take care of the rest.

Not one for emotional outbursts, but full of agitated doubts, she recalled her new partner, and felt ashamed for a reason she did not know yet. She felt suddenly so different from all her other kin, and knew there would be few others to discuss this with to figure out what had happened. What that had gone wrong.

She thought and realized there ‘was’ at least one other person that might understand, and ‘couldn’t’ approach her with the same derision as much of her kin would. If she was suddenly now taboo, then there was one other that such wasn’t so the same all of a sudden.

She departed her ceremony past uncertain attendants to find him.

--------------------

A sister cried for another Sister, out of sight.

A mother started to look for a medical solution to this sudden problem. A mother's mindset was blinded.

As was a Father's. One that immediately blamed one other for this act. One that had little to do with the unexpected results.

But results such were, nonetheless.

--------------------

“Oh dear us all.” ...Gaea sighed as she saw the latest angel uplinks to the System. About seventeen this day, with one glaring notice she realized all too well why of. She shook her head and worried if Lind could handle all of this.

“Administrator?”

Gaea looked over and saw Chrono asking for her, the long time System goddess had a strange look on her face. The Head Admin floated down and over to her station and asked... “What is it?”

Chrono looks up at the multispherical, and tubular energy screen of data streaming all over the vast shaft of the projection core. Representing all the interconnected worlds the System governed in the multi-dimensions, it also had plenty of smaller screens of various colors and wavelengths that did far more than just display data or look cool. Some of the data could be only seen by certain eyes, dependant on their station and encoded classifications, ones underlain the nominal Class License system. Some information was only seeable on certain screens, by these particular Operators.

If needed be, such then could be rendered unseeable by the same operators if the Head Admin required it. Some data unlocked for short times on requests, others sent in coded mediums that were indecipherable by even these head Operators at times.

Sometimes the kinds of data dictated how it was treated. As Gaea looked at the first data Chrono wanted her to see, she cocked an eye. “What is this?”

Chrono explained. “I was running a diagnostic check on the Wish encoding subsystem, the chronometer parameter adjunct, and found this strange anomaly within an algorithm that determines the time span between wishes for certain subjects. It was such a low priority algorithm, I didn’t consider it at first, but only for the fact there’s a timing anomaly that’s acting a bit strange.”

Gaea cocked an eye at the last wary tone Chrono used, and prodded. “How so?”
Chrono shifted her harp control unit, the holographic underlay reaction to the smallest reactions, both of hand, and of Operator mind, and explained with some new up close screens only they can understand. “Well, the anomaly seems to be acting just out of synch with the rest of the algorithm code, somehow managing to nudge the entire Wish apparatus to some predetermined timeframe. Almost like it was being steered, but very slowly. At this rate, if left unchecked, the apparatus would choose itself another recipient.”

“How long?”

“I’d give it around, ten, maybe fifteen years on the mortal calendar? It’s being very patient, whatever this is.”

Gaea frowned dearly and ordered. “Transfer all this data to my station, at once please.” ...she said and then turned to fly back up. Chrono turned her head and asked. “Of course. Can I ask why?”

“A hunch. Ask no more of it please.” Gaea said with enough iron to make Chrono refrain further, and turn to complete the request. Eyes from Ere and Ex are ignored, as Gaea then reached her station and examined the data, going into it all with a fine tooth comb.

She was astonished as she discerned the clues together, as the algorithm was both very clean, yet unyielding in its logic matrix. It was indeed pushing the Wish system to a point of time of its own choosing. For an algorithm however, it was acting ‘just’ enough like an outside circuit to make it foreign.

Gaea frowned further. Only viruses of high code could manage this, or someone with access to the system itself. Given the safeguards and authorizations needed, as well as the fact that everything routed to the Admin Hub here in Central, meant one of a number of very limited things.

As she looked at the code more, and deducted a small iota at a time, she began to see a pattern, something familiar that began to itch at her. Something that almost whispered to her. The code algorithm was very clean, only asserting itself once every few months.

She began to get suspicious given it was in the Wish system at all, and decided this area was not secure enough to conduct the kind of investigation that was needed. She looked over to Ere. “You have the System Hub milady. I will be away for a bit.” The raven haired goddess turned and nodded. As Chrono looked over with worry of what she started. Gaea left without notice further for her private Office chambers.

More of a cathedral than an office, the interlinked beams of gold and silver lined around all vectors, and into midair, where they all focus around a miniature version of the Hub Core, near which a floating desk and seat all the same, holds the Head Admins seat.

Here Gaea has all the data transferred again, this time placing a code seal on it, as she begins deepening her search parameters, this time including archive data from both the system, as well as the Wish subsystem. Also included, is the historical timeframe line of the incidents of note, the Wish Slayings as they were now called in hushed circles. She had ample reason to cross reference to her eventual frightening conclusion.

The time it took to do this in, she knew what was up. Within an hour, she left to find Almighty in a calm haste.

--------------------

A long ray sunset beginning to settle across Heaven once more. Soon the night of Lunia would cast pall of stars of souls overhead, as here, the mortal learned long ago, it was not merely a sun fading down a horizon, but an entire set of the Planes circling overhead, as they shared their home skies with that of Heaven here. The mortal surmised that meant more than one Plane existed with Heaven’s own, but such a thing explained was far more fathomless in reality than even just ‘that’. As such, the mortal decided long ago to treat this as the same in his home world of life. Old life that be, at least the stars here burned just as fiercely as the goddesses that lived under them. He always smiled as he thought of that one.

It was done alone for the most part, after having departed the training grounds and having wandered near the Valkyrie ones, only to find little sign of the person he was supposed to find. He was told in essence Lind was having her angel egg ceremony, which of where he had utterly no idea of. The mortal just thanked the goddess, sighed and kept on walking, at least thankful he never got weary passing over some of the open walkway areas that stretched on for many a lonely kilometer between the large clusters of the heavenly supercity, or whatever this all really was.

Still, it seemed he was more doing this to be alone and sulk that actually find and face Lind again. He grumbled to himself that he just couldn’t cut it for this part of his so called ‘training’, and wondered for the umpteenth billionth time or so, if this entire Wish had been a mistake.

He stopped at one point and then admonished himself. “Man I am such a poser.” ...he said, using a term that somehow had cropped up amongst the heavenly populace as of late. He then shook his head, and then looked up.

On character, seeing the ‘last’ of the first things wanted, of expected, was in ‘fact’... “Greetings.” ...said of Lind to the mortal, this time the surprised Squire gathered himself and bowed his head. “Oh uh. Allo milady. Um... ah...” ...he stuttered, starting to grow afraid of a repeat of that Mall day. However Lind had a far different look on her facade, one of both confusion and openness, this much the mortal saw with some translation.

She simply asked... “Can we go somewhere and talk? Please?”

Okay, now he ‘was’ stunned, but he simply replied quickly, trying to be open as well. “Uh... aye, sure.”

“Privacy added if such can.”

The mortal threw out whatever lewd thoughts that spiked in for a split moment and nodded. “Um... okaydookay... h... how about.”

--------------------

Lind looked around in surprise. The waterfalls and rainbows here cascaded into each other over the vast stretches for what seemed forever in every direction. Plateaus of thousands of waterfall steps floated amongst each other, as they fell in several ‘directions’, causing the sunlight never ending here to cast prisms all over the place. The waterfalls alone itself went fathomless and unseeable into a misty filled haze, light and shadowy in places depending.

The sound here was something else. It cascaded as waterfalls should, even if the haze went ‘up’ as much as it did down, in a shimmer that was everything soothing to it.

All around, birds flew about of the angelic variety in as much clouds did of a vein, as there were from the waterfall mists, and actual clouds billowing in places of majority. Much was a peaceful spring time white and life enriched here. It was indeed a miracle of sorts. “Isn’t this where...?”

The mortal surmises an answer. “Apparently this is one of the roots of the actual ‘World Tree’ itself, somewhere in there anyway. I think this is also a river course of the River Oceanus, and goes to other Planes, I guess if you wanted to reach them from here. I’d have to jump and it’d be a doozy to Almighty knows where.”

Lind actually chuckles a bit unexpectedly, and answers plainly back. “I believe this is also a way to Demon Central, to Nidhog, if you wanted to chance that.” ...with a tilt of her head at the gulping mortal. He just chippers back. “Nay, I think this side of the Plane is more comforting.”

A shared laugh for a brief moment, as mortal realizes goddess ‘can’ do such, much to a dearly internal driven relief. This however ends just as quickly, as Lind turns to look at the scene, this time less ‘at’ it, more of within. Meanwhile the mortal explains. “Hirund showed me this place early on when I started under Lord Thor’s kind hand. Few ever come here, since it ‘is’ near the plane of the condemned and all. Other than the angel birds, I rarely have visitors here. A good place to clear one’s mind, I would guess.” ...he finishes, just in time to see Lind lower herself into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her knees. The mortal notes this for something all too common of himself. In fact in this place, much of oft note.

He considers and then walks over and sits down next to her, not too close, allowing Lind her space, to her comfort of progression. As it was, he was just ‘glad’ she was even near him. He wasn’t certain of why save for the obvious he wasn’t yet ready for. For awhile, he just flicks with the grass while she sits unmoving, eventually wondering if she is sleeping in fact.

He sometimes does that, and chuckles inward of the times he sometimes finds himself on the very edge of the Plane itself, to all clearly a fearful drop of note. Eventually he senses and dares a query towards her, amid the far rush of eternally flowing water.

“Everything okay?”

“I had my ceremony today.”

The Squire angled a look off, and then back at her, and... “Well. Tis not that good?”

Lind dug her head in some into her knees. “No.” ...with him in turn. “Why so?”

She considered for a moment how to answer that, and then went for the blunt method, and called upon her yet unnamed angel with no voice used. The mortal is surprised with this lack of warning as a swirl suddenly forms from her back, and brings an actual angel into view. The short cropped blond angel of stereotypical note, makes the mortal’s eyes boggle in amazement.

“Holy light she’s beautiful. Wow. Have you named her yet?” ...he says, as the angel just smiles sadly and waves back cutely. Lind replies in her unmoved state. “No, nay I have. And she is not as so. Can you not see why?” ...again to the point at hand. The mortal however looks at the angel as she hovers between them, inspecting her and Lind in turn. He notes of obvious note. “Well, aside from only one wing, I’m not sure...”

Lind grunts a bit and moves her head enough to eye the mortal in her same position. “That one wing ‘is’ the point.” The mortal plainly looks and then back to Lind. “Really? What’s so bad about that?”

Lind growls a bit and shifts her head away. “You don’t understand.”

The mortal blinks and then levels more bluntly himself. “Why don’t I? I mean, I know I haven’t seen man y angels before, and they all have two wings, but I can’t say if others have one wing. It’s still not a bad thing.”

Lind almost gets up and considers leaving, but then shoves her head towards the mortal instead. “One wing IS a terrible distinction! No other goddess ever has had an angel with one wing of singular! Can’t you see and understand? I’m different from the rest of us! I’m… I’m not normal.” ….she turns her head away with, as the Squire gulps and rubs his hair back in place. He however still can’t see for his part, what the true problem is. He asks to his hazard. “Forgive me, but I still do not see it. What does normal have to do with it all? I mean, I sure tain’t, and look at me. At least you get to have an angel, something I will never have.”

Lind suddenly does get up and the mortal blurts... “Wait! Sorry, I didn’t mean to say... I still think it’s... she's beautiful. That’s my opinion of her, if you were after such.” ...said in both plead and truth. Lind however had gotten up not to storm off, but to fend off snapping back at him again. He wasn’t the only one fearful of driving another off here. The Valkyrie hears this and imparts with her back turned. “Even so, it all still makes me weak. No singular winged angel had ever been demonstrated before in Heaven. It’ll mark me as too different and my life is to change too much because of it. I already can feel it, the consternation in the System from my kin. Soon everyone will know. I’m not sure I can handle that.” ...this the mortal listens in turn from the ground, and realizes how similar a feeling ‘that’ actually is. Given how borne a soul Lind is giving, he grows quickly to respect this fear she is having. Lind however continues... “Why? …why one wing? Why am I so different? What am I doing wrong?”

The mortal gulps and has no answer in his tonsils to give just yet, if at all, but he seems forced suddenly as Lind turns around and drops ‘very’ close to him, a ‘rare’ stream of welling tears coming out, as she leans over him on all fours, pleading... “Please tell me what I doing wrong?! You of anyone here knows what I am feeling in all of Heaven here and now! Please... tell me... -sobs- ...something.”

Frozen utterly as he is, he lacks the will to know how to really answer that as a comforting version, and falls back in whatever semblance of logical thought he has at that moment, as he thinks anime openly for a moment, gulping more than once, before trying to profess... “Um... ah... I dunno... ma... maybe you have... I dunno... twins, or something. I dunno.”

Lind hears this as she ‘almost’ just falls into his lap, and blinks off several teardrops into said mortal lap, looking up at him. “T... twins?” ...this as the young looking angel hovers overhead to hear as well.

The mortal sweats bullets in this awkward position, but offers to his credit, so he thinks... “Well... I mean, humans... uh... mortals... where I come from. They have twins all the time. I mean, it’s one of those nature things. You know, birds and bees. Er... or... um... whatever the version is around here. You know? I mean my mother had twin sisters, I think, um... before I came along. I think I remember my godparents telling me that... or... um... was it their relatives. Hmm... third or fourth cousin.” ...he rambles off, into some trail of broken family tree branches or such.

Lind however hears the ‘twins’ part ‘very, very’ clearly. “Tw... wins?  That’s it.” The mortal blinks and stops rambling, as he quips. “Pardon? Oh... aye. Aye?”

Lind ignores the stutter and scrambles away, to the mortal’s relief of personal space, as Lind then moves to assume a double knee, kneeled stance to apparently pray, to the mortal’s immediate vision. However she then starts to concentrate, and draws her angel back in to concentrate very directly within her center. As she does so, he sees her skin glow some, apparently her ‘prayer’ to his sight, one looking very intense. He manages to pull into a sitting position, as she senses deep within.

...there... within her turmoil riddled soul, deep deep, very deep within. There, where the egg nestled itself, she feels it. She sees where the egg is, and senses a delineation of some kind in her soul. It’s hard to definitely detect, but enough to tell that the first angel summoned isn’t the only one. She then suddenly opens her eyes, and blurts out. “I believe you are correct. By the Almighty.”

The mortal blinks a bunch again, and comments... “Um, I... uh... okay... uh... guess that means you have another angel. Maybe it has two wings.” Lind shakes her head at this and stands up. “No, the other angel has the other wing. It has to. There’s no other explanation for it, for all of this. I sure of it.” ...she says with steel back in her voice, as before. (Not that the mortal ever heard such steel before, such makes him gulp again. The sudden anime fire in her eyes was weirding the mortal out too.)

At this, he pulls himself to standing as well, and offers. “Then why isn’t it coming out? Is it one of those one at a time deals or something?” Lind turns around with a plain gaze at him. “No, they both can emerge, they more than should be able to. But I do not know why yet.”

“Is it one of those things with trust and all that? I know I’ve been getting that run around with the Generals a lot.” ...put with a groan for his part. Lind considers, but can’t see that as a cause, for whatever her own reasons. “No. It can’t be that. I can’t see why Valkyries need such anyway.”

The mortal puts in of his own account, making Lind look rather openly at him. “I think that’s incorrect. I mean, on the battlefield, I learned even in my past life, if you can’t trust your comrades in a fight, you can’t live past that battle. Or something like that. I know I learned that the hard way, up to the end. Master Thor also instilled this rather dearly into my training, so it really all 'does' have a place.”

Lind nods and closes her eyes, speaking. “Your soul is very strong then, to believe that. I envy you for that.”

“Huh? Moi? Why Moi?” ...won't he ever stop blinking?

“You have endured for so long, what I am just now experiencing. It’s amazing you can stand up to Thor like you do, and then how you take everything all the goddesses lambaste you with so often, without truly ever giving up. You have grown so strong mortal.”

Of his part in nervous reply, he just puts. “Well, that much crud so often still takes a toll. It tis not easy I say so much. Still, I gave my oath once I decided to give my all for this realm, and I can’t back down from that for any reason. One has to be strong to face all that comes unto the spirit, in the end.”

Lind blinks, and something ‘flicks’ in her own celestial mind. “That’s it!”

“What’s it?”

Lind clenches her hands to her chest. “If I want to be able to summon both angels, I have to become as strong in spirit as you have become. No matter what it takes!”

The Squire suddenly grows nervous, wondering if he said something he ‘shouldn’t’ have. “Um... I’m not sure you should take me literally. I mean I still soil sometimes when Thor gets really pissed and all. About did that last round today.”

Lind however doesn’t listen. “That’s it. That’s what I’ll do. No matter what it takes, what I have to do. How... impossible anything in the way becomes.” ...she stops with incredibly clenched fists. The mortal however places his hands on hers, before realizing ‘what’ he is doing, and pleads a bit. “Um, try not to forget ‘other’ possibilities. I mean you don’t want to get hurt doing...”

“Don’t worry, I know exactly what I want to do.”

Somehow that makes him feel very much more uneasy, as Lind pulls away and turns to leave. The mortal however whines. “You can’t be serious. I’m a bad influence for Light’s sakes! I can’t even tell you I’m supposed to like you for eternities sakes! How cowardly is THAT!?”

He is stopped in this weird attempt of dissuasion as Lind comes up and... “I’m grateful.” ...pecks him on the left cheek, before pulling away. It might as well been hot molten lead upon his face, it felt so warm of blush. As she leaves through a portal made, he tries a last... “...you... you can’t be.”

As she disappears, he thumps to the ground and holds his cheek. He then takes the other hand and thumps his skull, hitting some of the retracted helm armor covering the forehead. He then realizes and moans like a dying cow. “Oh man, when the others find out about this. I’m done for the next century at ‘least’!”

--------------------

“: So that is how it is being done. :”

Gaea looked surprised as she heard the immediate summation, this alone with his mightiness, the chamber sealed entirely. Not even the other Councilors were allowed into this one, the information had become so sensitive. The Kami-sama considered and guessed. “: I sense your mind may know who is at the central author of this all. Speak of this, despite discomfort it is to your mind, so I may know. :”

“Aye Milord. I fear the author may have been one of our own, the number of which we though already dead. I can only guess this as... as...” ...his Lordship waited patiently. “...she may have. No... was my mentor.” ...her words disjointed. She wasn't even sure she believed her own words. She swore her First Class license, was scalding her code because of this.

Almighty ‘nodded’, as only It can do, and considered. “: Then it may be confirmed. We have to restrict this information for now, so such is the stress this information could cause. :” Gaea nodded. “What be your Commandment unto me, My Lord.”

The goddess then started to feel her mind ‘obscured’ suddenly, the information and painful details at hand being expunged from apparent, though explanation enters her mind. “: Know this. The timeline is not to be interrupted, so as to allow falsehood to enter the heart of our enemy. As such, your mind is to be clouded of all this until the time comes, so as not to allow any information to reach said enemy. No one is to know, my plans will be formulated in other ways. When the time indeed does come, the unmade puzzle with form and situation enacted quickly. We will have only one chance, as I fear much may end up costing us dearly before all is resolved.

I fear the authors of this all, intend more than simply life of our kin, I sense something greater in fact. Until then, know nothing of what I say, other than as a whisper, and a edict of unknown. This until then, will salvage your mind for sanity’s sake, you are not needed to brunt such a tremor. This I save you from for now. :”

At this, Gaea steps back several times, and then feels her mind ‘close’, of all of this for now. The Lord then continues. “: Until then, go to your tasks, and forget for an hour, before continuing your daily import. This I sayeth, so unto Done. ::”

Gaea blinks a great deal, and eventually starts to ask... “Ah… ah… of… of what do I shall?”

“: Whatever of importance, by your leave you now are. :”

At this, Gaea blindly obeys, never knowing better. As she leaves, the Lordship turns his mind to consider how to handle the coming short time, unto his mind of infinite span, to come. He does know one certain detail.

Another attack will come, there is no doubt.

Another detail comes to mind as well. One of their own is working with a mortal, one that somehow can kill goddesses. If it was simple murder that was the goal here, doing over and over the decades would not justify such... depravity. It sensed something else going on, another wheel of the great spirals in motion.

Whatever it was, it ‘was’ going to happen all again. It decoded to make such come to them.

--------------------

It was finally that starry night, whence such as it is in Heaven. The night over Einherjar Fields sparkled as fathomless and beautiful as always, as the mortal made his way back towards his quarters in the Chamber of Valor. His mind was swimming with that meeting, and it was all he was thinking about as he arrived back at the near castle like temple. He did fear what his unwitting advice would do, but still eventually didn’t truly care, well, so much as what infatuation was doing in such stead.

Walking up the steps slowly in a slight swoon, he’s suddenly shouted at from above. “About time young pup!” ...in a far echo that tracks his startled vision up to where the three Generals are waiting, like three motherly hens even. As soon as he sees this, he reflexively takes a step back, which garners... “FREEZE MORTAL!” ...and so done.

He then sighs and walks up the rest of the way. As soon as he reaches, he meets the apparently less than appeased gazes of all three. Hirund wipes a hand into her long wine red locks and quips. “Long evening was it now? Forget your curfew?”

The mortal blinks... “Since ‘when’ have I had a curfew? I was only...” ...at this, he is suddenly glommed by all three of them buddy like, stunting with more confusion, his worried state, now replaced with... okay, confusion. “Huh?”

“Good job old bean! You finally got the Bugs to talk to her, even for a good while it seems!” Rend congratulates in a rather haughty tone to him. He gulps and asks... “Um, how much of it did you...”

Mist confides in chide. “Now now, we don’t pry that far into private conversations, not without good reason. Why? Are we supposed to know something we don’t?”

The mortal sweats and stammers back in a fit. “Oh nothing! Nothing at all!”

Rend elbows in, cheek to cheek as she pries anyway. “Oh? I didn’t know you proposed to her.”

“WHA!?”

Mist just hops as Hirund smirks with arms folded. “Alright! Our adopted godson is getting hitched!”

“No I’m NOT!”

Rend just eggs it on. “Oh dear, he’s blushing. It must be true love.”

“Will you stop... HEY!!” ...this as he’s suddenly yanked by both arms by Rend and Mist and pushed by Hirund inside. “What are... what kind of Generals...”

“It’s time to get this bad boy drunk after everything today! What say y'all!” Mist dresses out with a inflection of his old world. The mortal just wonders what the heck is gotten into the three as he’s wrangled inside.

Thor was out, so it was essentially lady goddesses night’s out with one poor shmuck mortal along for the unfortunate ride and hangover to come. However something else had changed from all the nights, where he was treated as supplicant. As the mead and songs flowed (more and more badly as the night progressed,) this sense changed into a more solid feeling. There was a reason for it as the following time to come would demonstrate.

--------------------

Phosus saw the change almost immediately as soon as Lind stepped onto the training floor for her final martial test, the last to judge if she was ready to pass the First Class Valkyrie requirements. When Lind set her position, three equal numbers that had once been her instructors, became her antagonists, charging at her with no warning.

Lind gave none of her own as she spun flipped her axe and charged the one to her fore-right. Taking a swipe from the side from the first attacker, she spun overhead and landed low to sweep kick, an empty seeming move as the first attacking Valkyrie simply leapt out of the way. Lind however finishes the spin and bursts from here off the left towards the third attacker that had started to Lind’s rear. Another clash exchange of weapons, and Lind flips again, this time very high up. The first and third follow, as the second Valkyrie now comes up off the rear right side of where Lind is positioned now, upside down towards #1 and #3.

Given her apparent disadvantage, she then ferociously refocuses on the first attacker, and this time midair bursts towards her, connecting axe staff again with a loud clash of metal. This only lasts long enough to push back off, avoiding a near swipe from #3, into a slightly surprised #2 offender.

This starts a chain where Lind bounds off each one at a time, making them try to follow her movements, as she pins #2 more and more to the rising wall.

As the quartet reach the ceiling, Lind pushes #2 after clashing off #3 again, this time into the ceiling. #2 catches on, bounds off, but is kicked by Lind into the rounded edge of the adjoining wall, before bouncing off towards where #1 just leapt ‘down’ off the ceiling. Lind passes overhead, pushing her axe to clear #1’s own away.

As she reaches the other side, #3 races to slash at her, just as Lind reaches. Lind takes the incoming parry, and shoves it off very brutally, and then chases after #3 in the next rather smooth motion, despite how fast it all happened.

#2 recovers and chases after in a huff, just as Lind literally beats her axe unto #3’s, over and over. #1 meanwhile has trouble catching up, by the time it all ‘rapidly’ shoots back down to the base floor. Phosus and Demesus look away in time before the rushing crash takes down #3, all happening too viciously to recover from.

#2 and #1 land, just before Lind bursts out from the impact zone, at #2 before the Valkyrie can react to Lind’s furious assault.

As the, what was ‘supposed’ to be a sparring test, continues into its brutal conclusion, Phosus blinks several times and judges. “Well, that goddess does not need further basic training.”

Demesus however winces after one particularly vicious blow, lots of ugly clashing and beating sounds being heard in the background now. “What has gotten into that girl? She’s been that way for a few celestial weeks now.”

Phosus sees the end of this spar, as Lind surveys her handiwork, holding her right arm in it’s now bleeding state, as she hefts herself and weapon in same wounded arm, towards the two Gold Wing Commanders.

“Commander Phosus. Commander Demesus.”

Phosus simply nods in turn. “Well, I don’t see a need to hold ‘you’ back anymore. I’ll have your records indicate your ascension past martial training. If your academic scores prove just as... um... interesting, you should be ready for your First Class ceremony.”

Lind only bowed, dragging her axe staff tip in so doing on the floor. As the three Valkyries Lind just pasted help drag each other off, Demesus asks plainly. “Still, I have to ask. Does this have anything to do with that angel of yours?” Lind steels back with a hard look at Demesus. “What of it?”

Demesus just sighed. The ‘One-Winged Lind’ bit that had been circulating around Heaven as of late must have seriously gotten to the Valkyrie, but the Commander had suspicions something else was afoot. Trying to glean anything from the other trainees and troops hadn’t gotten anywhere, as Lind had become much more stoic and strict with all she did. Almost maniacally so. Phosus took over the next query from Demesus, and commented. “Of everything. I know everyone is being unfair, but it won’t help resolve matters if you beat everyone you meet like a Demon. Verbally or otherwise. What is going on, if I can ask?”

Lind grumbled and calmed herself, explaining. “I simply have begun a strict training regimen that will help me grow stronger in both body and spirit. That’s all.”

Demesus complains. “And that will be ‘all’ of everyone else if you keep this up. I pray, this is about as bad back when that dumb mortal was here a long time back.”

Lind smirks and levels out with a tilted head down. “Was that so terrible?”

Phosus slits ‘her’ eyes and wonders. “Speaking of that, there was rumor about you and him a while back. Did something happen?” Demesus blinked rather blankly. “You mean something did?”

Lind sighed and blurted out. “If you ‘must’ know, I talked to the only other person that understood my problem, and he was the one that advised me to proceed in this new direction in my life.”

Phosus/Demesus: “He did?”

Lind smiled and nodded proudly for a moment, and then turned. “Aye. And from now on, I will be training three times as hard until I can summon my other half. I owe it to him.” ...this as Lind taps off her foot and flies off again.

Phosus pucks her lips as Demesus shakes her head. Phosus just comments. “I told you that pup wouldn’t be out of sound or mind.”

Demesus growls and huffs off in a hover. “Great, now we will have the Infirmary goddesses on our case here again. I hope that idiot is satisfied.” Phosus however feels for her part, a decent amount of distaste for this sudden revealing of information.

“I think I need to have a ‘talk’ with that mortal. Thor or nor Thor.” ...with a good sneer for measure.

--------------------

Her arm had already healed up for the most part. Lind just primarily came to the Medical Section adjunct center, off from the Valkyrie Training fields, as per standard practice, after major training events. Such as the one she induced via clobbering and all.

She arrived with thoughts of another once again, as she landed, reattaching her axe to her ear, reformatted as it was, unto as a piece of diamond shaped sliver. She finished doing so, as she heard...  "Another rough training day daughter?"

Lind froze, but then on instinct of trying to think of even stepping back. (I.e. she didn't even get to move.) "FREEZE KITH!!"

The Valkyrie just sighs, unmoving from the voice of the Head of the Medical Section. Lind just bemoans. "Mother."

The said Lower Council goddess just folded her arms. "Councilor Ishara to you as well, since I'm here on official whim."

Lind cocked her eye. "Double talk doesn't become you Mother." ...this Ishara chuckles at. The elder goddess in only by years of number, rather than looks of age of any kind, just flings her deep blue locks about, as she replies simply enough. "The same of a soul, it should be noted."

Lind winced at that one, such that Ishara then bades the Valkyrie towards her. "Cometh, and tend to wounds of both the body of code, and the soul as well. I.e. we have a chat, you and I here."

The Second Class Valk just saunters by in character fashion. "And I see Jora is in part behind this." ...such Ishara just smirks. "Just be thankful it's not your Father this time. I had to hogtie him down in fact."

Inside the chamber of medical-technological note, Lind spouts back. "I really did not need to hear that last there."

Ishara just giggles, and follows on in.

--------------------

Time kept moving on. All such now a good year after that riotous party the Generals subjected unto their mortal of note.  More familiar lives entered the heavenly fray by well now, as it all started to ferment off the Angelvine, of gossip over two souls that were becoming more and more powerful by the passing, of each celestial day.

One life of Valkyrian mode, despite all consternations of her focused training by her family clutch of dear note, that continued her remaining days as a second Class, becoming the thing that would mold her image unto all others of Heaven. The teasing of the 'one-wing' ceased, and instead grew a more reserved interest, as the quest for the Second angel to emerge. She had yet as named her angels, though only one ever was nominally present when called for.

Their fates seemed linked with the other life of soul, that was becoming too famous (and also powerful,) to be simply known as a mere 'mortal'. One that still hadn't formally chosen a name yet. (Even 'despite' prodding to even more consternation amongst many around the mortal.) Neither life ever made much more contact it seemed, than the training fields.

If one looked past the Training commanders scenario with that Valkyrie troop. And then that time at Pandemonium Fortress. (The fight with that demon supplicant was a doozy.) And of the Valkyrie's Ball. Oh, and the mission to that elven world plane, that the mortal didn't even 'know' Lind and Jora was with him in person. (Such good elven disguises the two used. Nevermind the first time Lind nearly saw the mortal die in a major battle.) And then there was... hmm, maybe there was more to the story than either of the both thought?

A lot more.

Such that one life was entering the apex of a current career. The other, advancing well beyond the bounds of a mere Wish.

And destiny kept its own pace, along with time.

--------------------

Signify of an evolving moment, Gaea unexpectedly one day presented, with the grace of Thor’s sight, a special weapon for the now all but named Knight of Heaven, as she delivered for him, in a scabbard of white dragon hide, a new blade.

He pulled the sword from its sheath. “Wh... whoa! It’s diamond... um... blue diamond?” ...with an examining glance of the blade surface, with a tilt of his hand held, back and forth.

Gaea smiled. “It’s a morphemic blade, it can take the form of whatever weapon you have both either already used, or it ‘sees’ in battle against any other opponent. I already took the liberty of ‘installing’ most weapons the System knows beyond what you have trained with. By holding it, it now already ‘knows’ all other weapons you have used as well. Try it.”

The mortal looks over at Thor, and then he pulls the blade, a simple longsword for all intents, away to a level side hold horizontal. He then ‘thinks’ of it as a halberd. The blade flows into a new shape, like crystal water, into the exact weapon he is thinking of. Moreover, the new weapon form is much lighter and more balanced than the original thought of weapon. “Wow, very sweet.” ...he says, using another recent word in the grammar lexicon of Heaven. The Squire then forms the weapon into...

...a battle axe...

...a scimitar...

...an elven knife...

...a katana...

...and then finally a massive kingsword, exactly like a certain blade out of his favorite tome of literature.

As he does this, he notes the scabbard change shape in his hand as well, to form into whatever blade cover the weapon takes. The strap even changes length for carrying options. The mortal looks up. “What about projectile weapons?”

Gaea explains. “It has to touch or ‘feel’ a weapon to learn of it, so it can in theory become projectile types, such as guns and longbows. However it’ll only project energy bolts in such a case. The weapon is indeed a wonder, if you don’t need physical projectiles.”

“I see.” ...he says, morphing the blade back to a preferred weapon, an Aegis longsword. As he sheathes the blade all samurai like, Mist imparts. “Well, I think that about fits out all a knightly needs. I can’t think of anything else.”

“Save for a lover.” Hirund blunted out, which makes the mortal frazzle. “Gee thanks.”

Thor however comments in. “: I would be wary of that, I have recently learnt that one once known Lady Phosus is on the warpath unto you, my friend. Among other souls, known or nor. :” The mortal looks over at the War God of the first name imparted. “Pardon? Why her unto moi?” Mist quips back with her arms behind her goddess greco-gown of length.. “I hear by system link that it was about Lind.” the mortal just cocks an eye. “That still doesn’t tell me why.”

Thor just blurts in, to the General’s dismay. “: I would just take the nearest field of war assignment, than rather face her wrath right now. She is yet  fuming even after all these celestial months. Even my attempts to cool her fire hath gone unheeded. :” ...this Mist just dryly retorts. “Hence why you are no god of love, bub.” ...that which makes Thor frazzle some.

Gaea smirks. “It might come to such either way. I have this also to give to you, my lord knight.”
The mortal feels weird at being called such, just before he is handed a white tablet, blank and everything. As soon as he touches it, it activates a datascreen, which has of all celestials, Lind’s image within. The heavy ‘urk’ sound the mortal makes the Generals gather around him. "Guys! Get off my head!" Generalsx3: "Shush!"

Within, of an obviously directed voice... “To that which touches this device, genetically encoded, this is my invitation to witness my First Class ceremony. Given such events are few in between per passing cycle calendar, your personal attendance would please myself greatly. I await your arrival milord.” ...at which it shuts off, just as per the author wanted. Whether Lind intended for the mortal to endure ‘that’ much razzing from the bunch of immortals for much of that next few minutes, may not have entered the currently steel minded Valkyrie’s mindset.

Nonetheless, even Gaea was in on the joshing.

The mortal didn’t give the tablet back. Not that he was asked for it anyway.

--------------------

The double stadium sized presentation chamber was utterly alive with untold numbers of onlookers and well wishers from all across Heaven’s vast expanse. They had ample reason for their presence, since First Class ceremony promotions were a great deal of hubbub within this Plane. So few made it to this level, and all got to this station of license in their own way, each as unique as the individual goddess that accomplished this honor was.

Some took decades, even centuries to achieve this level. Not all could achieve it, not because of limit of numbers, but because the criteria and the character requirements of the station for each chosen had been so strict and strenuous, the tests and progression so demanding. All realized such demands were so deep, that the rewards were as much burdens, by the time First Class tests alone were completed.

There was no shame at all of failure to reach this level in so trying, some never would, others would, even after many tries. It was still even admired to have tried, the station of license such was. It was a  testament to the dedication of each goddess that achieved their First Class license that celebration was never small in so doing.

The reward for hard work, and the door where even harder work awaited after presentation of the honor.

For each, the ceremony was presentation before a large audience, the cheers determining how respected the goddess was, but no goddess ever got less than a roaring ovation anyway. As they were presented, something was done to physically state this promotion, while the System did the same for the network link and privileges of the new station. Usually new abilities and knowledge not accessible before was unlocked, though this would only be realized once they began whatever their newly assigned career of task was. Usually the new assignment was from Almighty Itself, since the mighty Lord knew better than anyone how to best utilize such a newfound treasure of a resource.

As for the ceremony further, the goddess at the center was present for a good while, time not rushed by any measure, again since such ceremonies came along so rarely. Some solar years of the system cycle, there were none. This year however, there were three. Lady Belldandy in attendance like others, was not yet amongst them, though she was very close due to her unique style of dedication, as well as a level of kindness that had to be measured differently from most other goddesses. Still, such a time was not present as yet, as the gilded banners and beige-white walls and pillars reverberated the already cheering throngs, for this time at focused present, a Valkyrie of the order.

Streamers were already falling, as Goddess Second Class Lind appeared in the chamber through a transport beam from another part of Heaven, the violet light retracting into thin filaments as she arrived to the sight of the up tempo crowd.

Upon sight, a family beamed endless pride, more than any others in presence. "I'm so proud Daughter." Ishara bounced up and down like a kith of her own past of youth. Jora just kept waving her right arm around in fist pumps. "Yeah Lind! You go goddess!!" This while Frode looked on, with his own silent version of pride.

Thor near enough, kept an eye on the last of the family clutch, given the great Warlord knew what was coming.

Meanwhile, as soon as Lind appears, she bows on normal cue, though her expression barely registers a decent smirk even. Lind nonetheless stands very proud as her ceremony begins, with the booming sound of Almighty from all around. The effidice format replaced by an avatar of humanoid make, near other avatar forms of the rest of the Council, all off to one side near the fore of the presentation stage.

“: To all that know now. Her Ladyship, Valkyrie and Warrior of the goddesses of Heaven and the System, has now achieved, and furthermore be named of the title of First Class to the System and to the Heavens itself.

With all grace and authorization, here thee I name you, Lind of Valkyries, as such. Be proud and be joyful, for the bounty you have made for your name is one that stands as example for all others to follow and ascribe unto.

To this, you are titled and promoted. Congratulations thee of the First Class in name of Lind.:”

To this, Lind bows deeply, this time a shiver of a smile betrays through. No one, and tis true, no one of Heaven that hears unto this, dares not feel ‘something’ at a moment this proud and becoming. As such, the now clamoring gallery give their full voice, no matter what previous of chatter speak was present beforehand. Even the most reserved of the lot give full hand in congratulatory. Lind hears of all of such, and has to clench her hands to keep her emotions, so flowing they threaten to become.

Off the far left behind some godly huge curtains of velvet red and gold trim, many Valkyries of the commands, the Generals of Thor, and one certain mortal invited personally, watch and cheer just as proudly as the rest. The Squire watches and is astonished just how loud the cheering really is. Having seen quite a few ceremonies by now, the only real thing surprising to him, is that there seems no hint of the prejudice that has been haunting the One-Winged name all this time.

In that, the mortal is glad. He speaks of this to Rend next to him. “Boy she sure is getting a good ovation.” Phosus a rank off the right keeping a keen eye on him, hears this and smirks, as Rend comments. “It should be no surprise. Heaven honors no matter what the course. Keep such in mind milord knight. The Squire evolving shalt see much of this, this I promise.”

The mortal pauses clapping a touch before continuing, still not used to the apparent change in title. He then just resumes and enjoys the moment for Lind, even if Lind is too reserved for her own sake. Such is not ill or such. All of each singular ceremony is what the recipient wishes it to be, in however they conduct themselves as self seen fit.

However a slight surprise was in store in another vector, for more than just Lind here. “Okay, you’re up.”

The mortal blinks and stops clapping this time, as he looks back at Hirund. “Pardon?”

Hirund blinks. “Aye, for your part in the ceremony. Did not Mist tell you?” ...this the mortal turns to mentioned 'General' goddess and quips roughly. “Nay.” To which Mist fingers her lip in a coy... “Oh gee, my bad.”

The mortal turns around with the cheering still in high pitch, the streamers flying past his frowning facade “Excuse me, what is...” ...just as a Valkyrie axe, one with long blue and white streamers, akin to a unit flag almost, adorn the Axe. The streamers with archaic writing of the system code, indicating ancient wars long forgotten, as well as the honor to the training standard of the Order. The mortal just blinks blankly... “...what is!?”

Hirund quips. “We thought up a good excuse for you here. Lady Phosus...” ...this making the mortal look unsettled with immense measure as the Valkyrie Commander steps towards, with a new streamer in hand. As he gulps on her short approach, the Commander gestures for the staff weapon to be lowered some, him doing so, so Phosus can attach a new streamer unto it. The mortal hazards a query. “What streamer is that for... uhHH?!” ...he stops in a high tone, as Phosus shifts her head forward at him. “You, moi. The Fields. Thor knows when. We have a score to settle, when that day comes.”

The three Generals snicker as the Squire gulps, with Phosus finishing her task. Phosus then informs. “This staff is of Lind’s new position within Heaven’s Offices. Please don’t trip onstage for ‘all’ of the Valkyrie Order's sakes.” The mortal just blunts back. “Gee, no pressure.”

Guessing what all this is for, he is then turned unwillingly by Mist, and shoved a tic forward by Hirund. Stumbling just to the movement sight of Lind and some to the fore of the stage, he turns his head back and gives a dry glare back before turned unto with a more hallowed glance towards Lind.

Near the Councilors, Thor sees the mortal step out, and Lind notice and turn fully unto him as he shift steps forward, and comments to the surprised Councilors generally... “: So ‘that’ is what those wenches had planned. :” ...said with a slight growl of disapproval, yet a chuckle of bemusement. Near him, the avatar of the Almighty smiles.

“: I approve. Tis was I that hinted unto. :” This Lord Thor gave a stunned glance sidelong over to this avatar, wondering what the ancient power had planned.

A family saw, and were stunned, to be sure. "Ah... him?" Jora quips blankly. Frode about responds, but then a reflexive look at where Thor lightly stares him down with, whit the Judicator just sighs despite. The amended response becomes. "Aye... him." This Ishara blinks at, but then looks back and shakes her head. "I see outside influences will defeat even a mother's advice, in the end, here." Frode for his part off of this, saw much more in this scene, than he intended. Ones where the mind overlay aspects once thought lost. He resolved...

Meanwhile the cheers have added unto it, a few cute ‘Aww’ hints and such lovey nonsense, which makes the mortal hesitate a touch, all of which Lind suddenly ignores completely, for a more focused reason. The two make a pair, her brilliant jumpsuit of white and blue trims, gloves of accouterments, to the Squire’s gleaming armor and additional robes and etc. Both in crisp military form, though if you take away his nervous stumbling.

He realizes this and with her watching, pulls himself together and holds the staff ‘flag’ rigidly across his chest and then steps forward more confidently, ‘much’ to Lind’s satisfaction. When he reaches her, he bows slightly to hers in turn. The Squire then adds... “A... gift of station... from your fellow comrades. We all are proud of you and your accomplishment.”

Lind nods her head and as he offers the staff weapon to her, she takes it, taking hold of it by deliberately brushing the right edge sides her gloved hands unto his left edge side own. A moment held together, and then he lets go, so she can turn it to hold opposite how he had done, to which he steps back and away. Lind then turns back to the now ‘very’ roused crowd, this time smiling much more comforted.

And a reserved family, suddenly are amazed by what they saw.

The mortal himself then stops and gives a glance back over to three ‘thumbs up’ Generalizados, giving their amused approval. The cheering meanwhile lasts for a good while longer, one comforted by the presence of another, still nervous in such proximity still.

--------------------

-More steps through time.-

What were once children and taught by elders of age, were now turning in the winds of the time stream to futures now awaiting them. Sometimes the wind blew rather gently, others like a hurricane. Some good, others unto ills inconceivable. Still the winds flow unimpeded.

Where this all starts, is when two very separate days have one lifelink between them, something unresolved for some years yet to come. Amongst them, other goddess lives begin to bloom and fulfill into the history others now take for granted.

Skuld enters the trio of sisterhood that would enter another mortal’s life one far flung day. Belldandy continues and passes her own First Class license training and education, entering the Goddess Help Office to study other worlds, about a year before the incident. (Nay to that of Celestine either, as another Incident would come of dire note.) Urd gains her angel, and her reality, and the price of choice along with after. But also gains her Second Class license and becomes a ‘relatively’ dependable System Admin, under Peorth’s exasperating direction.

The Valkyries pass unto many more trainees that becometh full-fledged goddesses of the combat order. Of their part, the ‘One-Winged’ goddess continues her impossible training standards, to the point where she becomes a singular Commander or renown, and included a special operations goddess under the War Section, for missions deemed utterly dangerous. This is only allowed by the vein of Thor due to advice he gains from the three Generals, whom see her dedication and focus as an asset. Most of the rest however begin to fear her single mindedness, and indeed the Infirmary Section complains a lot over the coming years. Lind at some point names her angel Spear Mint, due to the smooth nature the angel gives to her martial progress. Still her goal is nowhere near to her comfort of completion.

Gaea meanwhile begins to take station in promotion from the Admin Hub, into the Lower Seat of Heaven, after the apparent resolution of the Celestine Incident. Belldandy’s scars would one day come back to haunt all of Heaven, but for now, the Luna Prison would be the only platform here. After recovering, Belldandy became an exemplary goddess for her Office, taking countless cases with all her diligence and care. She soon becomes as famous in Heaven for her compassion, as Lind does for her viciousness. Amongst them all, other goddesses yet to come to the fore of this story also bear witness.

Meanwhile the unknown plans of Heaven for the coming countdown progress without few noticing. The only ones, are on two sides of a line no one save the Almighty could ever anticipate. Not even the likes of Hild and Nidhog could see what was about to come.

Unknowingly at the other end of the center of that event that was slowly forming, was one said mortal that daily read from books and mind scarffed information of the three dimensional realms with great haste.  Magical knowledge grew exponentially as well, of all kinds. Essentially ever after that day against Thor on the training field of Einherjar, training itself essentially became ‘upkeep’, as there was no longer very much Thor could teach the mortal in the state the Squire was now at. Much of the training time was now shifted to mental preparation, social reinforcement, and now operational duties to the System itself.

Sometime during this period, the System underwent a major software and network upgrade, as the mortal worlds evolved into their own computerized networks. The security protocols most acutely were enhanced once more, both to assure against hacking by Nidhog, even despite the mutual agreement, as well as to protect in case of unexpected detection by the lower dimensions. Technically, it ‘was’ possible for mortals to uplink with the reality System, though doing so and understanding was entirely a different matter. Still, it was so since all reality was connected, despite dimensional boundaries. The mortal Squire alone long since accepted this, given all the missions conducted to so many other world planes of note. Many that would become interlinked with Heaven's own at times, and as such, the precautions.

A law of evolution in one of its infinite forms. One day, the evolution would oversee the System accept another civilization into the fold, in one fashion or another. If the civilizations involved survived. This all of course, involved the original dimension and world the Squire mortal originated from. As that world evolved, the progress of all threads within would progress. One such involved a day when the Morisato of named Keima met one Takano somewhere in a certain race in a certain country. A demonstration of how the world had changed in the time since the mortal’s death.

And this story had ever so long to go.

--------------------

Lind stood in the chamber of Its Lordship, as she waited for her first true commandment, all the while the gleaming gilded work of the effidice the Almighty spoke through, floated around, apparently thinking of the present moment intently.

Lind wasn’t nervous, and growing more true to form, was in fact almost austere even to the mighty form that was Almighty incarnate. This wasn’t lost on the very decision making The Lordship was considering. This given how strict she was, and taking into account the complaints already of the training cadres that had to deal with her impossible training standards. Almighty decided and noted such by suddenly revolving it’s form to face Lind. She saw this and kneeled immediately.

“: To give your station of adjustment, heed and obey. You will now oversee all special assets and magical artifacts stored in Heaven’s protected archives and zones of high security. This will become one of your primary duties with each passing cycle of daylight. By evening to your own, however you see fit. However you should keep mindful of others in whatever you do. And to ensure none of your activities impede in this sacred duty. :”

Lind spoke in her kneeled position. “I understand, and will not fail you My Lord.”

Almighty knew this was good. “: That is all for now. Your license will be amended to allow access to your station. :”

Lind stood and bowed. However Almighty informed... “: I should hath also inform on personal matter. This I do for no small whim on any level. I have sent an emissary to the mortal realms for a liberation duty, in contradiction to actions taken by Hild’s own. I would be remiss in not to inform that for some time, your friend of mortal origin is whom I hath sent. :”

Lind didn’t seem to react to this, though something did twinge under her many emotional walls and barriers. Still she nodded. “I see. I do wish and hope for his success against the Demons you sent him against.”

Almighty felt proper to embellish this, trying to sense from it, how Lind truly felt of such. “: I expect no less. Apparently Hild felt proper to attempt realignment of several worlds at once, regarding a separate galaxy the System now will begin overseeing. I believe She is testing our response, though I do not believe she realizes the scope of her plans. My emissary however has been briefed and instructed in all forms of such combat and diplomacy at hand. I anticipate an epic scope that will reshape the future of this part of the System for centuries to come. As such, I do not anticipate a return from such duty for quite some time, many a year at least.

As such, I apologize this may what have on your personal feelings in this matter. I realize your feelings for him. :”

Lind however kept her emotions stoic and stone. She nodded simply, and commented only... “Our duty to Heaven comes first. In the end. No matter what the cost.”

Almighty however heard one comment, and felt another deep within her. Knowing all It’s subjects to the core, he could see what she tried to hide. Still, The Lordship didn’t impress this, adding instead... “: I will have all reports of such activity sent to you. Such may prove valuable learning, if nay anything else proper. :”

Lind bowed... “Such is appreciated My Lord.”

At this, Lind departed, and Almighty sensed Thor enter from a side chamber after the Valkyrie left. The War God commented. “: Is such wise to attach her concerns to the mortal’s? Even I do not know if the mortal can handle such a far reaching assignment. The technological concerns for one are much to fathom, the enemy of apparent will test the knight carefully and dearly all the same. Would it not be wiser to expunge her of such things if he does not return? Even if such be a waste of all my tutelage, and my worries unto. :”

Almighty only replied back without moving the effidice “: Such of your failing for the mortal spirit, may come to your surprise. If such mortals were ever so weak, then my failings would be stripped glare, with little penitence. I suggest you consider instead how to reward on his return. Such may be difficult by time come of return. I sense Legend may combat you to it within our realm alone. ::”

Thor considered and quipped in query over... “: Would such be by goddess portfolio, or by tomes we cannot write ourselves? :”

Almighty just chuckles and replies. “ : Sometimes it is good others write stories, better than what I would tell even. Such a knowledge was Sin, unleashed for good and ill. And not for an ill in this case. :”

Thor snickered, though the War God didn’t have the true capacity to fully appreciate what it all meant. It wasn’t his forte anyway.

The War God then remarked. ": Councilor Frode for one, is unhappy of this development. :"

Almighty didn't respond. Thor took it for what it meant.

--------------------

-Somewhere in a galaxy far far away, and NO, not ‘that’ galaxy.-

Nothing prepared the newly minted knight of heaven, for the mission he now was charged with. For all the archaic mode style martial training he had received, none of it matched the technological and academic versions that now had to come to the fore. Such now comprised of an initial charge of helping prevent supplication of a stellar civilization from the Demonic influences, now being asserted over literally billions of souls.

It wasn’t just Earth that saw this war of souls between the two Supercomputers of the Celestial. The System held millions upon millions of other sentient worlds, many of which had genetic composition similar to Earth’s own, much to the mortal knight’s surprise. A surprise that lay in another galaxy altogether. This was a landscape where actual starships ply the stars, cultures were as alien as the very fact of his presence, and the war of good and evil had a different wrapping to the same package.

The mortal traveled on some star freighter to some unremarkable space station around some world named Illumina. He looked unremarkable as well, in brown robes and disheveled appearance that matched much of the other compliment of refugees from some world affected by this war the Demons were apparently burning upon some oppressive monarch, centered around seven star systems in this nebula cluster. The goal unsaid, beyond what the mortal suspected of norms expected of Demon Central.

He however hid his true form well, under spells and camouflage, plus simple grime. The attention to the passengers allayed over time of boredom, to more close in 'concerns'. Ones that lain within his robes. Within of said such however was one new gift he was still enjoying, better than even his old favorite literary tome. He was sitting on the metallic deck flooring, behind some metal crates, wedged within and away from prying eyes, as he risked another look within his disheveled robes.

Within, the white and blue trim jumpsuit he knows all so well. One tailored and fitted especially for him. Apparently a parting gift from his old comrades, found with a 'carry-on bag' that could hold thrice as much as norm, the jumpsuit had been discovered after unwrapping the gleaming celestial wrapping paper and glowing bow.

With it, a simple note, signed apparently by Lind. (Not for certain since he never had seen her writing before.) He still had that note, as well as the tablet within the pack he was nestled with upon his chest. He risked a bit of a look in it after making sure no one was around again. He found the same note, the poor shmuck, written on a gilded gift card of pure white parchment. Since paper was a rarely used item in Heaven, it was a rather personal effect for such.

Seems a lot of that the past few years, he thought. Written within...

'This is so to know your heart and mind are of one of us, still and now. This should be worn with pride, as well with my own concerns of regard. If nothing else than for warmth under your armor.

Signed,

Lind
Goddess First Class - Limited License'

The mortal smiled, and daydreamed a bit about that day at that root of the World Ash Tree. Somehow that all fours part kept fixating, all enough to send him into a slumber for a while.

The shudder of the vessel’s hull wakes him back up from a rather restful sleep, as voices start to clamor about him. The alien dialect he understands well enough, thanks to the upgrades to his bio-nanite network he received prior to departure from Intracel. From tone and fear in the air, he senses something ill is afoot. At this, he calmly rises and begins to move about the fearful passengers, finding a view portal where others are doing likewise.

As he looked out, he saw a rather large, ominous looking warship overhead... er... and around… er... and overHEAD... yeah. It was a big one. “Well this tain’t good.”

Just then, heavy thudding began to reverberate through the hull, and then towards a docking hatch with apparent violence coming. The mortal fiddled under his robes and found the hilt of his weapon, as the passengers ran away from the leading hallway, just as a decent hatch detonation blew flames and sparks behind the retreating bunch.

Quickly through it, dark plas-steel armor and helmet clad, military shock troops appeared bearing rather heavy looking laser weapons, spreading out through the ship in various places. One of them harshly yelled out. “No one move! You’re all under arrest for sedition against the Emperor!”

One of the refugees pleaded... “But, we’re just trying to escape from...” ...just before the obvious blaster hits the poor space peasant in the leg. “Don’t bother squirming your way out of this. It’s the disintegration chamber for the lot of you all!”

The mortal sees all this and burns a none too healthy dark emotion in his gut, seeing suddenly all too clearly why he was sent. That kind of outright paranoia only can come from a Demon influence. That or too many gawd awful entertainment vision shows. He had just surmised such, when the troopers began searching the immediate passengers, this while more off heard laser bolts blare in the unseen areas of the ship, more than a few pained screams and yells of terror echoing out to cower the fearful passengers with. One of them sounds far too familiar a scream, in vocal tone to one certain Valkyrie he holds to heart all too much. He growls just enough for one of the shock troopers to turn towards him, and blurt. “What do we have here, another problem case!” ...this with a hard swing of the butt of his blaster rifle into the mortal’s cranium.

When the butt hits and makes a hardly satisfying sound of a hard metal clank, and no effect to the intended target’s head, the trooper freezes, not expecting such at all. “Huh? HEY!”

Sensing his cover is probably blown when the rifle hit his armor cover that slid into place reactively, (and not just because the mortal is a thick skull case,) the knight reacts quickly and shoves his palms forward, causing the trooper to crash into the bulkhead far behind him, as well as busting his leg over a metal container.

The other six or seven troopers see this and turn their rifles to fire at the knight. Sensing this would be bad for his health, the knight then proceeds to present his weapon, in a manner befitting this theater of theme. A beam blade of pure white projects from his reformed weapon, into a blue diamond cylinder, and then stretching his senses in some familiar fashion to another 'order' of another galaxy.

“What? STOP HIM!”

Acting quickly, and showing the mercy of his weapon, the blade is twirled and deflects blaster bolts, absorbing others, and essentially causing all attacks to become inert. The mortal quickly starts his own assault, spinning with the aid of his holy abilities, used in the same familiar manner of energy and force, to quickly dispatch the three closest foes. Such finding to satisfaction that his weapon causes immediate stun effects as he intended, on striking his foes.

As also he suspected, a foreign demonic hold had been over them, and using his weapon in this mode severs such hold of enslavement, far more than seems realistic to realize. (The sight of black mist leaving each felled foe, tell more than otherwise.) However this doesn’t stop the mortal knight from stopping two more bolts and finishing off the other immediate troopers with quick speed. The refugees look in awe, as the knight then turns and hears the approach of more troopers that heard the commotion. Two more enter and the mortal uses same skill, as he down angle blocks with his blade from behind and deflects a second to the overhead of the troopers, distracting them unto the knight’s swift dispatch of them as well.

Within minutes, the ship is cleared of most troopers, stunning and freeing them from the corruptive influence they suffered.

One refugee soul looked at the knight, with a shocked... "Who 'are' you?" ...this the knight turns back, with a simple. "Divine aid." ...before continuing on.

Sensing there’s no turning back now, the knight proceeds to actually clear most of the attacking warship of the same ‘problem’, moving fast and thinking clearly as long taught. The end result long after is one entire, formerly ‘loyal’ warship of an enemy empire under the knight’s own control.

Everything had happened so fast, from false refugee to savior of awe to the same personages, that even the mortal was surprised how quick he had done all of this. He also was surprised how ‘many’ souls had been corrupted, most of them by some artificial method. This as he moved at one point from the vessel's engineering center. "Okay, now these demons are miffing me off."

Eventually as he moved to the bridge of the warship, most of the crew incapacitated, some reawakening to the reality they were broken from, the knight finds and breaches the blast hatch with his powers, finding the captain of the vessel, a dark laden female of note, trying to rally her remaining troops. The blue-silver tressed captain sees the intruder, and yells! “Blast this foolish hero where whence he came!”

The knight reacts by simply rolling under the first barrage, and cutting down out cold the first two he can reach, and steadily within a minute, incapacitating all but the captain and one other officer. The captain lowers her weapon for a moment and growls at the strange warrior, as the mortal levels his weapon to his side.

She gasps and yells out in exasperation. “Who the Hell are you!?”

As the other officer listens with corrupted rage, the calm mortal simply replies, raising his blade into an overhead stance... “In about a half cyclon-hour, try asking me instead who the ‘Heaven’ I am. I can answer you then more proper like.”

The blind rage bursts out in her raised blaster, but she feels the stun effects of the blade in short order, as does the last officer standing next to her, all in one dodge, and three smooth strokes. At this, the knight of heaven sighs and retracts his blade in a snap hiss, and looks out towards where he can see the apparent planet of light blue and all earth like in sunlit glow. Save for the orbital ring and apparent space docks.

Afterwards, he figures out the technology and station layout of the bridge, and contacts what is left of the refugee ship to have wounded brought aboard, and also for the stunned troopers told what happened. The crew of the freighter balked but the knight assured them that it would be all well. The wacky-terse yelling bit between them probably wasn't needed, but it also seemed to engender trust.

And so it was, until sensors picked up the approach of two more foreign starships, both different in make from the one the knight just liberated. As he sees this and notes some of the crew waking up from their stunned nightmare of falsehood, the mortal finds and activates the communications circuit of the vessel.

After terse ‘intros’, the knight assured these openly free warriors all was well. Eventually with boarding action and truth seen in disbelief, the captains of all three vessels eventually gather with the captain of the freighter, as the mortal knight finally makes good his introduction.

The captain of the formerly hostile warship, though still neutral in trust at present, asks simply. “What the blazes is going on? All of my crew have reports of bad nightmares, and all such nonsense. If I weren’t feeling the same, I’d probably space the lot of them.”

The mortal calmly explained. “You were under Demonic influence, mainly from means forced onto you, and not by ease either. My weapon sensed this and used a specialized function to stun and sever this dark link with your former masters. As it is, I only did one enslaved vessel, and I imagine others will come to investigate. We should prepare for such, unless you prefer your enslaved state of prior.”

A captain of one of the two other warships instructed. “If this is so. Then the Illumina Hegemony will be under attack as well in short order. You bring death to us all if this is so.”

The hostile captain (so much in attitude anyway,) barks out as well. "He’s right. The Marian Empire won’t back down. They have many ships, and apparently far more slaves than you can possibly combat. Not alone anyway.”

The mortal just smirks and comments. “This is true, all of it. Nonetheless, if it be so, I nay to back down from it. My promise of liberation says unto such with my blood oath, here and now.”

The freighter captain blinks and yelled. “Did you not hear a word they said?”

“My ears work fine.” ...the mortal simply put. The other captains blink all at once, and the continue their disbelief. The hostile, now quite confused captain of the Marian Empire warship, just eventually asks. “What makes you so confident? No one can stand up to the Marian Empire.”

The mortal just blinks. “Um, and whom just liberated your hinnies just a bit ago? I assure you, my confidence is not misplaced.”

“Sounds like it too.” The second Hegemony captain put in, the first complains. “But he’s one... one... Who the HECK are you anyway?!”

Much to his imposed appeasement, he sighs and then puts forth. “I am a Knight of Liberation, and here sent to free you from this Imperial enslavement. I assure you, this will happen, of no fail or false I profess.”

The bunch of them are expectantly flabbergasted. A total shock to their senses. The Imperial captain just quips out in turn. “Got a name we can fuse to your reincarnation pot?” The knight smiles, already having been that route in path. He answers... “I am Imladris, and assure you it will be a living name by the time all is done, by ‘your’ hands. Again I ‘assure’ you. No matter how long it takes. Truly no matter how long.”

The bunch of them continue to be amazed by what they are hearing, more and more as the meeting continues. This as such begins the long journey to save a civilization from the darkness. By the time all was done, the galaxy would change in shape and scope greatly. Verily greatly.

And the Legend its first written record.

--------------------

Somewhere in the System, the Wish algorithm nudges again. By its chronometer, it’s down to seven years left. Already the plan on both ends begins to form.

Time is running out.

(End Prologue II)
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