Valkyrie Profile Fan Fiction ❯ Angelic Warrior ❯ Chapter 1

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A collection of Valkyrie Profile short stories. Mostly ArngrimxJelanda.

Angelic Warrior

Angel 01: Impudent Fool (ArngrimxJelanda)

"Arngrim," his suggestion, though reluctantly accepted, made no sense to her, and the princess would be heard. "This makes no sense; Valkyrie said we should rest today. I am to go to Valhalla tomorrow."

"You agreed to come," the warrior reminded, as the pair made their way through the desolated fields outside the small town.

"Why did you have to offer to do this? I'm sure Valkyrie and the other Enherjar could have taken care of this." Jelanda was planning to relax in her last day in Midgard; she knew there would be many difficulties to face in Valhalla.

"Valkyrie is busy collecting that other soul, and I offered to take care of the activity here, that's all. If I'm sticking around with her, I might as well make myself useful."

"The others..."

"The other Enherjar are with Valkyrie, they might run into something while collecting that soul so they can be trained. In the mean time, I'm taking care of things here." Arngrim sounded logical enough, but Jelanda didn't buy it.

Jelanda stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently. "The others could have used this as training too, and who is to say you can't assist them by going with them on their mission for a new companion. Is your thirst for battle this great?"

"You wouldn't have gone with them," Arngrim faced the horizon; he had stopped walking but did not turn around.

"Because Valkyrie gave me the day off. My training was completed ahead of schedule and I will go to Valhalla tomorrow," Jelanda reminded.

"Stop saying that!" Arngrim growled bitterly.

"It's the truth!" A moment of silence passed and the princess approached the warrior, closing the few feet of distance between them. "Are you angry because you are not considered worthy to be sent to Valhalla?"

Arngrim did not reply.

"You'll at least be able to travel with Valkyrie and you'll meet many people, many warriors you can train, maybe even worthy opponents. You said you wanted to be useful, I'm sure that even if you can't enter Valhalla, Valkyrie will find other tasks for you."

"You're missing the point."

"Then what is the point?" Jelanda inquired.

"I don't know myself," Arngrim admitted.

"You're a fool Arngrim," Jelanda shook her head.

"Come," he turned around to face her. "I will test your strength."

"Is that what this is about?" Jelanda looked displeased. "You don't believe I have what it takes, do you? Muscle is not the only power; my magic could beat your sword any day! Fire, Ice, shadows and healing, I have all that and more. Have you not witnessed my power?"

"You've got guts, I realized that even before I saw your magic. For a long time, even while I still lived, I knew you are strong," Arngrim replied.

"Then why?" Jelanda questioned.

"I want to experience it, that's all."

Jelanda pouted and glared, "you are a warrior to the end and beyond the end. Clearly, fighting is the only thing that interests you. Arngrim, you're a fool!" Jelanda charged her magic, "Frigid Damsel!"

'A fitting spell,' thought Arngrim. The sword of ice collided with the iron one, but the icy spirit moved too fast, connecting several blows. Arngrim still stood, wounded but able to battle. "What now? Your magic takes time to charge, you're open to an attack!"

Jelanda looked exasperated, "were you trying to prove a point? It's not like I'll be alone in the battle field. It will be like it is now, there might even be another like Valkyrie guiding us, and surely there will be many others like us." 'But none like you,' her thoughts quietly added.

"Jelanda..." Arngrim shook his head, more so at himself than at her, 'I want to be the one to protect you,' he thought. The specters surrounded them quickly, taking advantage of the energy they had used up. They would strike while the warrior was wounded and the sorceress had not yet recovered her power. "Jelanda, stay back!"

"Arngrim!" Jelanda summoned her familiar, but there was only so much the small bird could do. She waved her scepter at the specters, but couldn't do much until her magic returned.

Arngrim fought well, despite being outnumbered. He showed the skill that had earned him the title of genius during his life. Despite the wound he had sustained from Jelanda's powerful magic during his foolish request, he still fought well, but this was too much, there were too many enemies.

Breathing heavily, he leaned on his sword, the first wave of evil spirits had ended; they had been destroyed, purified as Valkyrie would say. Arngrim didn't fully understand why Valkyrie allowed them to run off on their own for a day, maybe she noticed something he didn't, or maybe he just wanted to deny it but couldn't; Jelanda was leaving, he would probably never see her again.

"Impudent fools! Face a princess' true wrath! Fire Storm!" The flames effulged the remaining specters, consuming them completely. "Arngrim! Are you alright? Just wait, when my magic returns, I'll heal you."

"I'm fine; do you think they could defeat me?" Arngrim forced himself to smile.

Jelanda shook her head, "oh no, you are much too stubborn."

Arngrim laughed and pulled Jelanda close. He didn't want her to leave, but she was going to Valhalla, that was her fate. This must be why Valkyrie let them go off on their own; it was why Arngrim insisted in leaving the group with an excuse, and why Jelanda followed him on her day off. They wanted to be with each other.

She was a noble Enherjar, a chosen warrior worthy of defending Valhalla. Even if he was considered unworthy, maybe, just maybe, if she wanted this too, they would both be rewarded for her wish. Perhaps there was a small chance of eventually being reunited when the war ended.

"Arngrim, I..." She stopped; what would it be worth to say this now?

"Shh," he caressed the side of her face and pulled her into a kiss. If he was going to be a fool, he might as well be an impudent fool.

End of Angel 01

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Angel 02: Stray

"What is it kitty? Do I smell like fish to you?" Yumei giggled and picked up the small animal. She gently petted its white and grey stripped fur and held it close. Then she looked towards Valkyrie and gave her best smile. "Can we? Oh please, can we keep him?"

Lenneth looked at the mermaid girl curiously, then nodded quietly. It wasn't a question of why, so much as a question of why not? She glanced at the other Enherjar as Yumei jumped with joy, with the cat in her arms. She could almost hear Freya's voice in her head, speaking in an uncharacteristically sarcastic tone, hinting at her disapproval for both the cat, if she knew, and the Enherjar she deemed unworthy. "Keep on picking up strays, Lenneth."

End of Angel 02

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Angel 03: Amends (ArngrimxJelanda)

"Valkyrie!" The news that Jelanda had heard in the last town they visited was very unpleasant.

Lenneth looked at the Enherjar's pleading expression. She wondered why she kept Jelanda around if she was quite ready to go to Valhalla long ago. The Valkyrie was well aware that, though Jelanda would present no protest should she be told it was time to go to Valhalla, she did not wish to go. However, Lenneth could not precise why she humored the unspoken request for so long.

"Please!" Jelanda insisted. "Just this once, it's all for the best, such destruction could bring more undead and who knows what else." Though her plea went out for the well being of the world, Jelanda's true concern was her father.

"I see, very well then, you may go help your father, so long as you make sure to return in one day. The Sacred Phase is near and I must prepare the next Enherjar to be sent. I will not be joining you, but you have my permission to go. I suggest you take another with you, Arngrim may go as well." Lenneth was surprised by the change in Jelanda's expression.

The princess looked relieved and grateful at first, then worried. "May I ask to take someone else with me? For example..." Jelanda thought of the warriors in their group, Lawfer, he knew his way around the area. "Lawfer?"

"He must prepare to leave," Lenneth replied with hidden curiosity. As far as she knew, Jelanda and Arngrim were in love, this she perceived, despite telling herself repeatedly that she should not meddle in such affairs, she was no goddess of love.

"Oh, I see," Jelanda casted her eyes down, staring at the moist grass in the outskirts of town. The rain had only stopped recently and soon after, they left the town where they were gathering information.

"I do not understand humans," Lenneth admitted. It puzzled her to see Jelanda, whom she had not seen in discord with Arngrim as of late, avoid him in such a way. He was an able warrior and would surely prove to be of valuable help in her mission.

"I'll go alone then, if you don't mind," Jelanda offered.

Lenneth raised an eyebrow, her inquiring eyes unblinking. "If you wish it so, you may, but you must be aware of the inconvenience."

"Yes, I will be careful, thank you for letting me go." Thus it was decided; Jelanda would see her father and defeat the traitors that were to carry out a rebellion by herself.

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"Give up! You're the only ones still loyal to the king!" The man raised his sword, pointing it towards the knight captain.

"Never! I will not be a traitor!" The knight captain stood firm. He only had about a dozen men left, and they were outnumbered three to one by the rebels. The king stood trapped in the throne room behind the captain. This was the final battle, if the king fell, the revolution would overtake Artolia.

"Traitors!" A voice echoed. "Ten thousand deaths are not enough for you!" Jelanda appeared, materialized in front of the loyal captain, facing their enemies. The throne room was filled with gasps for the unexpected return of the supposedly dead princess. "This is divine punishment!" Raising her scepter, Jelanda created abundant flames all over the rebellious troops, causing devastating damage. "Go knights, defend our kingdom!"

Those who survived the massive flames were few and severely weakened, easily arrested by the knights. Witnessing the astonishing scene, the king approached, "Jelanda," he stammered to speak.

"Father!" Jelanda threw herself into her father's arms. "I'm so happy to see you again!"

"I've missed you so much, my daughter! But how can you be here, I thought they... Just now, what did you do? You are truly my daughter, I can tell, but you're so different!" The king was in shock, not only had the princess returned from death, but she came so suddenly and with such unforeseen power.

"I am the same person, but I did die," Jelanda explained. "I was chosen by a Valkyrie and I am an Enherjar now."

"That's amazing!" The king listened in surprise. "But does that mean you're not staying? Must you go to Valhalla?"

"Yes, eventually, but Lenneth, the Valkyrie, is allowing me to stay for they time being," for that, Jelanda was very grateful. "I only have a day before I must return to Valkyrie." She glanced at the captain who was quietly waiting to report. "Were those all the traitors?"

"I am sorry my lady, there are more. Their leader was not with them and there are rumors that they are hiding in a near by cave, harvesting dark powers," the captain informed.

Jelanda knew she had to finish this quickly, it was her only chance. "Then I will go there."

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The group stood in front of the cave, which Jelanda knew was not an ordinary cave. "The Cave of Oblivion," she observed her company, which consisted of her father and his loyal knights. She used to think the knights were strong, but eventually she lost that perception. Maybe it was the incident with Arngrim, or maybe it was her new found power, which grew vastly after traveling with Lenneth for so long. At least the knights' loyalty seemed to have improved, "stay here."

"Jelanda, you do not mean to go alone?" Dead or alive, human or spirit, the king was still concerned for his daughter.

"There are undead beings in that cave, the knights are exhausted and even at their best it would be exceptionally difficult for them to keep up." Jelanda then turned to look at the knights, "train hard and keep Artolia safe; be loyal to my father and the kingdom will be prosperous!"

The atmosphere was filled with the knights' cheers. They had regained their faith with the return of the princess as an Enherjar.

"Phoenix!" The white bird came down from the skies at Jelanda's call and perched itself on her shoulder. "My familiar will be with me so I'll have some support while I charge my magic. Don't worry, I have experience fighting the undead," and if they were weak enough to be controlled by humans, then they couldn't be too strong. With a heavy feeling of foreboding she refused to show, Jelanda entered the Cave of Oblivion with a firm pace.

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She had underestimated them, or maybe overestimated herself; perhaps a little of both. Jelanda's familiar, whom she named Phoenix, was badly injured. She carried the bird with her left arm, clutching her scepter in her right hand and battling to stay focused. This was different from having a human body, she felt like her very soul was in pain.

The humans who had started the rebellion, including their leader, were all dead, victims of their own dark spells. They summoned a power they could not control and the undead dragon before her would also annihilate Jelanda if she didn't do something fast.

She felt her magic returning, one more attack wouldn't be enough and by the time her magic charged again, she would have been destroyed. Her only choice was to heal and run. "Heal!" The green light surrounded Jelanda and Phoenix as their energy returned and all the injuries their souls had received disappeared.

Now she had to run, but the dragon was too fast, she couldn't get away. "Finishing strike," she knew that voice, it was his voice. "Final blast!" Arngrim came rushing in from another cave tunnel and finished off the dragon.

"Arngrim!" Jelanda rejoiced, but the truth of the situation sank in and she looked away.

"Jelanda, why did you come alone?" Arngrim asked the question she knew was coming.

"I... because I wanted to prove myself!" It was an excuse and Jelanda knew Arngrim didn't believe it.

"What are you saying? This was suicide, even for an Enherjar!" Arngrim knew Jelanda was hiding something, but what could it be?

"Just forget it, please. The mission is over," she tried to smile. "Thank you, I will meet up with you soon and we'll return to Valkyrie." Arngrim nodded and Jelanda made her way towards the cave's exit.

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"Jelanda, are you well?" The king rushed to meet his daughter in front of the cave as she came out. Perhaps his image of an indestructible Enherjar was a stretch, but it was only natural. Jelanda had been taken away from the world of the living at a young age; it was comforting for her father to think of her as immortal now.

"Yes father, there is nothing to fear. The kingdom may be restored in peace!" The joyful shouts of the knights followed Jelanda's announcement.

"He lives?" A knight suddenly cried in surprise. Murmurs filled the air as Arngrim exited the cave.

"Arngrim!" Jelanda froze.

"You've been acting strange lately," Arngrim spoke to Jelanda, then glanced at the king, who looked at him disapprovingly.

"It's nothing," Jelanda quickly replied. "Go on ahead, I'll meet you soon."

"Meet him?" The king could no longer stay silent, "whatever for?"

"Arngrim is an Enherjar," Jelanda finally revealed.

The king was in shock, "an Enherjar, this man? But you are an Enherjar, how could he be one too? He lacks the qualifications and I will not group the two of you together, I'm sure the noble Valkyrie wouldn't either!"

"I may have been deemed unworthy of Valhalla, but I just saved your daughter!" Arngrim looked displeased, he then spoke to Jelanda. "You came all the way here alone and risked your very soul to keep it all a secret from your father? If Lenneth had not told me..."

"I just wanted everyone to be happy! I didn't want to worry or upset father, I wanted him to be proud of me. I didn't want to upset you either, I didn't want the two of you to argue or offend each other." Jelanda regretted the course of action she had chosen, going around the situation instead of facing it.

The knights watched silently in awe, while the king became increasingly confused and concerned. "Keep us happy and in the dark," Arngrim shook his head. "If that's how it is," he began to walk away.

"Wait!" Jelanda stopped Arngrim, then faced the king. "Father, I am sorry for hiding this from you. It may be true that Arngrim will not be allowed into Valhalla, but I believe he is worthy. I couldn't have defeated the undead without his help and we make a really good team. We are truly a lot alike." Jelanda took a deep breath, "besides, Arngrim isn't only a noble companion; he is the man I love." At this, the king fainted, to be caught by his daughter, "father! Captain, bring some water, hurry! Oh father, hold on!"

Arngrim laughed in good humor, "relax little one, he'll live."

End of Angel 03

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