Ragna pulled her seax out of the man, and with a swing, she flicked the blood from it. She raised her skirt and hid the blade in the slot sewn into her garter.

Her gaze wandered to the lifeless body. Blood gushed out of the pierced flesh. His eyes were closed as if he were sleeping. Ragna didn’t say a word, and not a single thought seemed to cross her mind. She stood still and observed the man’s corpse that lay at her feet.

“Ragna?” Altera reached for her and touched her shoulder. At first, Ragna didn’t react. Then she turned around and smiled.

“Sorry, I must have worried you.” She giggled and looked at her thigh where she was hiding her weapon. “Ah, you probably wonder what else I’ve hidden there? Am I right?”

Altera and Eric stared at her, trying to understand what was happening. Had Ragna’s behavior changed as a coping mechanism to deal with her first murder? It was like someone had possessed her. Was that a Fylgja? She had never encountered one with such an ability before. Or was it something else?

“Well… It’s a woman’s secret.” Ragna circled Altera and enveloped her in her embrace from behind. “You should know about such things. Or… Should I educate you?”

Altera gulped. Feeling Ragna’s pulsating body, her mind could not focus. She looked at Eric, whose face had the same expression as her: disturbance, confusion, and something… something else. Another feeling she could not or did not want to describe.

Ragna let go, and in a swift move, spun Altera around. The two women saw face-to-face. And for one second, she granted Altera the capability to speak.

“Ragna is everything…? You just…”

More, Ragna did not let her say. She put her finger on Altera’s lips, smeared them in blood, and whispered in her ear. “I think we shouldn’t talk about these ugly things. It would make me saad. Do you want that?”

Altera licked her lips, savoring every bit of Ragna’s gift.

Making Ragna sad… Why would she want that? If she talked about these ugly things, it would upset Ragna. Why would she want that?

“You want to be a Vaal-kyy-rie. So, youuu have to protect me. Val-ky-ries protect. Please dhirlf me from aaall evil that maakes me saaad. Don’t you want to be a Val-ky-rie? Don’t youuu waaant to protect me?”

Altera nodded.

Of course, she wanted to be a Valkyrie. It was her dream, her mission, her life. There was nothing else for her but to be one. Valkyries protect the innocent. If she wanted to protect Ragna’s innocence, she couldn’t make her sad. If she made her sad, she couldn’t protect Ragna. If she couldn’t protect Ragna, she couldn’t become a Valkyrie. If she couldn’t become a Valkyrie, she would forsake her life. For her dreams, she had to protect Ragna. At all costs. If Ragna was with her, she could protect her. If Ragna became hers, she would be a Valkyrie. If she made Ragna her possession and made her happy, her own life would have value. Yes. Yes, Ragna was her treasure.

Ragna faced both Altera and Eric. “Please, forget your confusion over my actions.” Her lips formed a smile. Sweet and delicious as belladonna. For her smile, they would protect her, fight for her, and end lives. “You can remember what had happened, but think of it as nothing unusual, like brushing your teeth.”

Her hand reached out for Altera’s face. Ragna touched and caressed her cheeks.

And even if she didn’t see it, she felt envy. But it wasn’t her own.

It was Eric’s. His heart hurt, and he wished to inflict the same pain she had brought on him. He wanted that she would pay for the crime of taking this treasure from him, this chance to have a fulfilling life, to eliminate the emptiness inside him. Altera smiled. She didn’t care about him. Ragna’s affection was for her alone.

“Just this little incident, don’t bring it up unless I wish it. Would you be so kindly?”

“Yes,” they said in unison. One, in the hopes of attaining what didn’t belong to him. The other, in the determination to keep what Ragna had granted her.

“Then let me give you this little gift,” said Ragna. “To show youuu just how graaateful I aaam.”

Ragna leaned forward. Altera’s crimson eyes reflected Ragna’s pink lips. The strength in her body faded away. Her arms slumped, and scents invaded her nose. She smelled an amalgamation of odors – from lavender and pumpkin to vanilla and forest.

She couldn’t think; A fog had dazed her. She could feel Ragna. Her lips. Sweet, sweet, deliciously sweet. An exchange of fluids and words connected through tongues and lips. At this moment, in front of Altera stood not a bratty girl. No, the voice belonged to a serpent: A fabled dragon, seducing and enticing her thoughts with her domineering words.

Words so pretty. Like swords. At her, Ragna struck. Drug. A drug. Like a drug, her commands ate through her brain. At this moment, she lost all power, all worth as a human being. All drive, but one remained: Please Ragna. Follow her desire. Serve her forever. Ragna was everything. Her will, a sword. Her words, reality. Her dreams, the future. Her grace, her existence.

Altera ceased to be human. She transformed into a vessel for Ragna’s eminence, able to save only two thoughts: She had to kill everyone who desired Ragna, and how much she wanted this beautiful onyx sclera and these slitted electric blue pupils. An inferno raged inside her, wishing to transform this land into a black paradise of scorched earth, to incinerate all enemies. Those who dared to take away her dearest possession. Her rightful belongings. If she had to burn Ragna to keep her from other people’s hands, then so be it. And then, she would throw herself wholeheartedly in that very fire.

Dying together in a pyre, lush like flaming roses. How pretty.

Altera smirked. Excitement contorted her lips as her crimson eyes saw that future ahead. No one would protest that there had been too little killing.

Her thoughts began to burn Ragna’s presence away. And as Ragna gave Eric the same “gift“ she had received, Altera regained her consciousness and destroyed these thoughts alongside all traces of Ragna’s command.

Altera shook her head.

Why did she feel so dizzy? No, not just dizzy. Mana was flowing inside her. More than she had ever possessed. Did anything happen? No. Ragna killed the guard. That was all.

She looked at her companions. Their faces exhibited confusion and dizziness as well. Perhaps a defense mechanism of the temple’s worshippers tried to keep intruders away or at least inconvenience them. It could be a Fylgja as well. Clockwork might have one. No. That wouldn’t explain the Mana surge. Perhaps the tower emitted an area effect, and the dizziness was because her body was unused to these amounts of Mana.

“We have to find our belongings,” said Eric. “If I had to guess, they’ve stored them at the temple’s top floor.“

“Why there?“ Ragna asked.

“It’s the storage room.”

“He’s correct,” Altera added. “I can feel my Sigdrifa. It’s somewhere high.”

“Your what?” Eric asked.

“Her weapon,” Ragna answered.

Eric took the lead, and they started to run. “We have to be fast. The other guys probably heard the noise you made. They’ll be here soon, and I doubt they’ll be happy.”

Shortly afterward, he turned left into a large open area. A staircase emerged from the darkness down below. It spiraled upwards until it would reach the area’s summit, which their eyes could not make out.

“The storage’s at the end of the staircase.“ Eric climbed the stairs.

֎

“Just how big is this temple?” Ragna asked after they had passed the sixth floor, and the distance to the staircase’s end didn’t seem to decrease.

“Around 600 meters,” Eric said.

“You’re joking? What god needs this much space?“

“We should be on the 13th floor now. That means seven more floors.“

“Seven?” Ragna groaned. “Couldn’t they have built a shrine? Or something convenient? I mean, it’s just a god. If there was a treasure or something, I could understand.”

Eric laughed. “They would burn you alive for that comment. Gods used to be a big deal a long time ago. But over time, fewer people believed in them. First, it was many gods. Then just one. Now, outside of Obelisk, faith’s a lifestyle choice. Though, they don’t believe in Twice either.”

“How is all of this even possible?” Altera’s eyes wandered around the spiraling staircase. The entire building looked like its founders had carved it out of a single aquamarine block. “This kind of technology shouldn’t have existed that long ago. And not even that. I have never seen material like this.” Altera tapped against the staircase, and a clink echoed.

“What kind of people used to wander Aes when the kingdoms had yet to exist? And if they used to be this advanced, how much knowledge and progress had chauvinism and ignorance purged?“

“Gush later,” Ragna looked down. Clockwork’s men had already mobilized and were running up the staircase. “His goons are coming.”

“Sorry, you’re right.”

“That’s exactly why I decided to explore ruins.“ Eric laughed. “We don’t know the future or the past. Since only the Allfather can see where we’ll go, I’ll be looking back.” The three started to run again. “I actually got a few theories about this temple. Once we’re in the clear, will you listen to them?”

“Sure, why not.”

֎

Eventually, the three reached the final floor and the temple’s summit.

“Finally.“ Ragna paused to catch her breath. “What the fuck’s wrong with these people? Building a six hundred-meter-long temple. Was this Eithin-whatever the god of cardio and six-packs?“

Eric sat down, breathing heavily. “It didn’t affect your ability to talk for sure.“

“I guess we could afford a short break.“ Altera looked downstairs.

Unlike her two companions, her body didn’t display any signs of fatigue or exhaustion. One would think Altera had merely walked a morning promenade.

Eric and Ragna stared at Altera in disbelief. “You’re not human.“

Ragna stretched her arms.

Altera was right. They could afford a break. The sound of Clockwork’s minions had subsided for some time. The climb might have exhausted them, but the condition of two trained cadets and an adventurer archaeologist surpassed that of the average population. These bandits probably didn’t undergo the training regiments of cadets.

Two slender corridors extended from the central plateau. It created a bridge that connected the two opposing sides of the temple. Light shone from the left corridor’s end, while the right way led to a shut door.

“I guess we should try the one with the light.” Ragna pointed at the corridor in front of them.

The three started to walk and entered a cylindrical area. Electric noises – like the workings of a processor or a computer that rebooted – echoed from every direction. A warm breeze blew through Ragna’s hair, and the sounds of nature became louder. Mixed with the temple’s synthetic noises, they created a new melody. The full moon watched over them in the open night sky, just one grasp away.

The room’s center consisted of an aquamarine table with a stag’s skull on top. Its eye sockets stared at Ragna no matter from where she looked at the table.

A shudder overcame her.

How could people worship something this creepy? If she had to guess, the table functioned as an altar the pagans used to offer their gods tributes.

Around it, Clockwork had stored their belongings. A quick check revealed they had not even opened the bags.

“Ah, there it is.” Grinning, Eric took the stag skull from the table and held it in his hand.

“What are you doing?” Altera glared at him.

“The reason I explored these ruins. Artifacts like this belong to a museum.”

“It belongs to the people of the temple.”

“They’re long gone. I doubt we’ll ever meet any of them.”

Ignoring Altera’s and Eric’s argument, Ragna’s eyes wandered towards the facade.

Behind the table, someone had projected drawings onto the walls.

These people even had a projector. But how? Did they make everything of bamboo technology?

The drawings depicted charcoal figures dancing or fleeing from a humanoid creature that towered over them. Its eyes swirled like a vortex, and it spread its arms like wings. Other figures had assumed various positions.

Ragna narrowed her eyes.

Were they praying, obeying, fearing, or revering?

Next to the small figures, the drawing showed a stag and several other beings. Some seemed to be animals. Others were human-like, and some were neither.

What could these be?

She inspected the mural further when noises from the end of the corridor crept into the altar room.

“Looks like we’ll be getting plenty of company soon.” Eric put the skull inside his bag and took out a knife.

“To make this clear. In no way does this mean our argument’s over.” Altera widened her arms like a conductor. From the room’s rims, ice materialized and spiraled down to the ground, creating a staircase in the process. “Take my hand.“ She reached out with her arm. “Unlike you, I can run on ice.“

Without questioning her, Eric and Ragna did as she told them. They ran down the stairs, and the ice behind them dissolved.

֎

“Altera, you’re awesome,” said Ragna once they had reached the ground.

“Indeed, she is.” Clockwork clapped his hands. Alongside him were his female minion and five of his men.

Ragna, Eric, and Altera drew their weapons.

“I had my suspicions that you would manage to escape.” Clockwork flipped the butterfly knife in his hand. The moonshine glimmered on its reflection, and Clockwork pointed the curved blade – long enough to be a short sword – at their chests. “So, tell me. What happened to Pete?”

“If you’re talking about the guy keeping an eye on us,” Eric said. “Yeah, he croaked.”

Clockwork’s smile vanished. His eyes largened, and he chuckled. He let his head sink and bared his teeth. “I see. I see. What pay will I get from thee? How ‘bout some ultraviolence? It’s time to end the silence, right, right, right?” Ignoring the pleas of his men, he widened his arms. “So, drown in madness. Orchest-“ Clockwork’s arms dropped.

A cold sensation overcame Ragna, and light gleamed out of Eric’s bag. From inside the temple, a roar boomed through the forest like the impact of an explosion.