Asgard

Atop Pegasus, Brunnhilde led the Valkyrior against the Giants and Trolls who attached Asgard. In one hand, she swung the enchanted sword Dragonfang, so named as it was crafted from the tooth of an extradimensional dragon. Pegasus dove and the Valkyrie leapt from his back, falling through the air. She swung the Dragonfang, tearing it through the Giant’s neck. As the Giant tumbled to the ground, Valkyrie jumped, going into a free-fall, only to land perfectly upon Pegasus’ back once more.

She flicked the Dragonfang, the blood of the Giant flying from its blade. Reaching behind her back, she drew a long, iron spear and hurled it—death from above, impaling one of the Trolls upon the ground. Pegasus flew low to the ground, allowing Brunnhilde to retrieve her spear.

Her steed’s hooves touched soil and charged through the advancing Trolls. With one hand, the Valkyrie held the spear straight, impaling any who would get in its path. With the other, she swung Dragonfang, removing head and limb from the army which invaded her homeland of Asgard.

Pegasus charged forward, his gallop now turning into small leaps. As he moved along, the gap between his hooves touching ground grew larger and larger until his front legs rose off the ground completely and his rear legs propelled him into the air. His wings flapped, taking them back into the skies once more.

The Valkyrie flew towards another of the Giants. She jumped from Pegasus once more, but this time she went for the Giant’s chest. Gripping onto the creature’s chest hair, she drove Dragonfang into the spot where his heart would be. Once she reached it, the sword almost going to the hilt, she twisted and the Giant roared in agony before toppling. Valkyrie withdrew the blade and sprung from the Giant.

Another Giant caught her in his grip. Valkyrie struggled against him, her arms pinned to her side. The Giant smiled at her and brought her to his gaping mouth. “Pretty little Valkyrie have tasty heads!”

She strained against his grip, able to wiggle Dragonfang just enough. Valkyrie mustered all her strength and pulled the blade up. It sliced through the Giant’s fingers, separating each of them. Brunnhilde used her free hand to grip his thumb and jumped upon his wrist. She drew the spear and hurled it, sending it right through his eye. She ran up his arm, springing from his shoulder to catch the spear and land once more upon the back of Pegasus.

Raising Dragonfang into the air, she called out to the Valkyrior. Below, she could see Thor, Balder and the Warriors Three leading the charge against the armies of evil. Brunnhilde aimed her sword at the battle below them.

“My sisters, for Asgard!”

The warrior women dove on their winged horses, battle cries erupting from their lovely figures as they cut a bloody swath through the invading hordes. But Brunnhilde, leader of the Valkyrie, suddenly froze. Her head had become light and she didn’t know why. She felt it difficult to maintain her seating and Pegasus struggled to keep his mistress upon her back. But it was no use.

The Valkyrie fell. Pegasus dove after her, but before he could reach her, she suddenly vanished in a bright flash of energy. For Brunnhilde, however, it was everything around her that vanished and was replaced with something different. A room with stone walls and she hit the ground, lying in the center of a circle with a symbol painted beneath her, a symbol that was completely foreign to her.

All around her were men dressed in robes the color of blood. Their hands were clasped together, the sleeves of their robes touching. She could not see their faces, but she did see their eyes, glowing the color of dark crimson.

The Valkyrie raised her weapon and charged at them, only to strike some sort of invisible barrier. Three men approached the edges of the circle from the darkness. Each of them wore perfectly-tailored black suits as well as round, black sunglasses. One had long white hair and a beard and was somewhat short. Another was quite tall, his head completely hairless. And the third fell between the two, an older gentlemen with short, silver hair and a smile. He was the one who spoke.

“Hello, my little Valkyrie. We have you now.”

FLIGHT OF THE VALKYRIE

By Dino Pollard

Months Ago

Samantha Parrington finished closing her suitcase, zipping it up. She effortlessly took it off the bed which had been stripped bare and opened the door to her spacious bedroom. Standing outside was her mother, a scowl present on her face.

“I don’t see why you’re acting like this,” she said.

“Enough, mother,” said Samantha.

“Don’t take that tone with me, young lady.” Samantha’s mother followed her down the steps of their large mansion. “You’ve been given an incredible gift, you should be using it! Not squandering it by running off to college!”

“It’s over, mother. The curse has been lifted and the Defenders have split up. And I’m tired of playing superhero,” said Samantha. “The only reason I have these Valkyrie powers is because I was cursed with them. I’m not interested in using them anymo—AHHHH!”

Samantha cried in pain and collapsed to her knees. Her mother knelt down to her side, calling out to her husband for help. “Something’s happened, call an ambulance!”

Today

Dr. Kilgore sat in his office and reviewed the case file given to him earlier by his superior, Mr. White. Samantha Parrington had been quite an interesting case. The daughter of a wealthy family, she lived the life of a socialite. But prior to leaving for college—on the exact day, in fact—Samantha had fallen into a coma. She had been trapped in it for weeks until she awoke speaking in a Nordic language.

He reviewed the tapes again and again but could find no reason for her frequent outbursts. Or her incredible strength and resistance to tranquilizers. At first, Kilgore had suspected Mutant Growth Hormone, but the toxicology report found no foreign substances in her system—other than the drugs they had used to treat her.

Mr. White had wanted Samantha transferred to something called the Caro Institute. What was the purpose of this, Kilgore had no clue. Mr. White insisted it was the finest facility, the only place that could handle such a rare case. But if that were true, why had all Kilgore’s research into it turned up nothing?

Kilgore had instead rededicated his research to another area—that of the topics Samantha spoke of in their sessions together. She made numerous references to Norse mythology, including Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods as well as the Valkyrior, the warrior women of Asgard who carried the fallen to the afterlife.

The Valkyrie in particular turned up some interesting results on the web. The Avenger Thor claimed to be the mythical Norse God of Thunder, and he certainly had power to back up those claims. But Kilgore found other references on a website which carried the label of Dollar Bill Productions. One of which was a documentary hosted on YouTube featuring a team of superheroes called the. And of those Defenders? A woman who looked suspiciously like Samantha Parrington. A woman who called herself the Valkyrie.

All this made Dr. Kilgore wonder if he had truly done the right thing by allowing Mr. White to transfer his patient to the mysterious Caro Institute.

The Caro Institute

Samantha Parrington had been stripped down and she lay on her back, beside the figure of Brunnhilde. Both were unconscious within the large circle with the odd symbol painted beneath them. The monks stood at five points around the circle, chanting in an ancient, long-dead language.

In the back of the cave-like room beneath the Caro Institute were the strange duo known as Mr. Moore and Mr. Grant. Both watched via hollow eye sockets behind dark sunglasses, through some unknown means.

“Those monks certainly know how to carry a tune, wouldn’t you say so, Mr. Moore?”

“Oh yes, Mr. Grant. Perhaps once we’ve finished with this task, we should take them out to karaoke?”

“Why Mr. Moore, that is a simply splendid idea. Simply splendid, indeed.”

“However, there is one downside. I’m afraid, Mr. Grant, singing almost inevitably builds up an insatiable appetite within me.”

“Quite all right, Mr. Moore. We shall provide you with a veritable feast, a buffet if you will. You shall have your pick of mortals to satiate your hunger.”

“Mr. Grant, you are simply too kind, my good man.”

“My thanks to you, Mr. Moore. Perhaps we should check in on our dear Mr. White?”

“I quite like that suggestion, Mr. Grant. I shall lead the way, good sir.”

The pair walked off, side-by-side, their feet moving in-step with each other. Both of them held their hands clasped behind their back as they left the main chamber and went into a room off to the side. Mr. White sat in front of a roaring fire, a cigar held between his lips. The flames seemed to form a face of sorts, one that wasn’t quite human.

“Is she ready yet?”

“Soon, my dear Tiamat,” said Mr. White. “Once we have merged Brunnhilde and Samantha Parrington together, the Valkyrie will be restored to her full level of power. And then, you will truly have a vessel worthy of your great essence.”

“Good,” said Tiamat. “You had best not fail me, Mr. White. I have lived between these accursed dimensions for generations and I long for the day when I can once more walk among the humans, claiming their souls for my own.”

“I understand, your magnificence. And the Caro Institute strives to serve its clientele with the best possible vessels, tailored to your very specific needs,” said Mr. White.

“Once you are successful, you shall be handsomely rewarded, Mr. White. You and your brethren.”

Mr. White grinned widely. “You’re too kind, my dear.” He noticed his associates standing near the entrance to the room. “Ah, Tiamat, I believe you remember our Misters Grant and Moore? Very good agents who were able to procure and restrain Ms. Parrington while our mystics summoned Brunnhilde. Gentlemen, I take it your appearance bears good news?”

“Quite good, Mr. White,” said Mr. Moore. “The monks have begun the ceremony.

“Both Ms. Brunnhilde and Ms. Parrington are quite docile. I foresee no difficulties with this process, Mr. White,” said Mr. Grant.

“Very good.” Mr. White rose from his seat. He bowed to Tiamat. “We shall summon your great essence once the vessel has been prepared.”

“Defy me at your peril, Mr. White.” With those words, the flames degenerated rapidly into glowing cinders. Mr. White shook his head as he approached his associates.

“I’m quite sick of these ancient manifestations of evil. Always with their threats and their warnings of defying them at our peril. It gets very old.” He puffed on his cigar as he walked ahead of the two men, they followed in-step. “I’m running a business here, after all. If they’re paying their bills, what possible reason would I have to defy them? And why use the word defy? It applies I’m their servant.”

They entered the main chamber. The monks had now linked hands and were slowly walking around the twin Valkyrie in a circle, continuing to chant louder and louder. Mr. White chuckled to himself.

“I’m sorry, I just had an image of them playing Ring Around The Rosie.”

Mr. Moore and Mr. Grant chuckled as well. “Quite amusing, Mr. White,” they said in unison.

Within the circle, Brunnhilde and Samantha’s bodies seemed to appear in ghostly, translucent multiples that moved ever closer together. The merging had already began. Mr. White raised his cigar in the air and drew a symbol with it. The cigar left a fiery trail in the empty space as he began drawing the symbol which represented Tiamat’s name.

“She’s an ornery bitch, but she pays top dollar. Still, their attitude is what gets me,” he said. “I prefer working with aliens. They’re much more pleasant.”

He finished the symbol and the flames merged together to create the visage of Tiamat, just as it had appeared moments earlier in the other room. Tiamat looked down upon the circle with a grin upon her sinister features.

Brunnhilde and Samantha had now begun to merge into one form. Golden energy swirled around the circle, snaking between the monks and it unleashed a spectacular burst of light which illuminated the entire cavern. Once the light had dimmed, the Valkyrie sat on a knee within the circle. She was dressed in armor of black and silver, with a blue cape over her back. The Dragonfang rested in a scabbard by her side and she held the spear in her hand, the blunt end resting on the ground.

The Valkyrie opened her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. She knew not where she was, but she knew it definitely wasn’t the Realm Eternal. “Who dares hold Brunnhilde of the Valkyrie against her will?”

“It doesn’t really matter now,” said Mr. White. He looked up. “There you are, my dear. Your product, delivered on schedule and as promised. Take possession whenever you like.”

Tiamat’s flaming visage surged forward like a fireball. It struck the Valkyrie in her chest and covered her body, sinking inside her skin. The Valkyrie collapsed to the ground, her body falling into an unconscious state.

Within the Valkyrie’s mind, she found herself standing in a large, empty void. She could hear the sound of large, leathery wings flapping. The Valkyrie jumped back as a massive demon with something of a feminine body and giant wings from her back hovered above her.

“Yessssss…” said Tiamat. “After all this time, a body which is truly able to contain my great essence!”

The Valkyrie reached for Dragonfang, drawing the blade in a smooth stroke. “You desire this body, dark one? Then you must take it by force!”

“A delightful proposition!” Tiamat opened her gaping mouth and flames surged from deep within her throat.

The Valkyrie dove to the ground, sliding through Tiamat’s legs. She got to her feet and pounced upon Tiamat’s back, driving her blade into the demon’s spine. Tiamat screeched in response and flapped her wings, taking them both into what could be described as air in this featureless void.

Tiamat swerved and twisted, flying at great speeds to try and shake the Valkyrie loose. But she kept a firm grip on Dragonfang’s hilt. She pulled herself up and released the hilt, landing on the creature’s neck. Brunnhilde raised her spear and drove it into the back of Tiamat’s neck.

Once again, the demon screeched and this time, it careened towards what passed for the ground. The Valkyrie leapt up as Tiamat crashed against the void’s floor. Tiamat was back up in an instant, the shock only taking a matter of seconds to recover from. The Valkyrie flipped off her back and they were facing each other once more.

Tiamat’s massive claws sliced through the space between them. Valkyrie ducked one of them and jumped on the other, gripping the thumb. She wrapped her arms around that thumb and mustered all her strength. She tore the thumb free and leapt for Tiamat’s bust. The Valkyrie raised the clawed thumb in mid-air, sticking it into one of Tiamat’s breasts. Tiamat threw her head back and Valkyrie jumped at the demon’s face, driving a powerful fist into Tiamat’s eye.

The Valkyrie jumped onto Tiamat’s neck once more, pulling out her spear and then sliding down her back to retrieve Dragonfang. She pounced off, flipping in the air and landing perfectly on her feet. Brunnhilde raised the blade to her head with a smile on her face.

“Here I am, demon! Come claim what you believe to be yours!”

Tiamat turned roaring. “You have caused me great humiliation, Asgardian! I shall take your body and spend the rest of eternity torturing your soul!”

“Enough talk, dark one. Let us see you turn your words into action!”

Tiamat roared and flames emitted from deep within her throat again. The Valkyrie held Dragonfang solid, the flames seemingly being absorbed into the blade. When the onslaught ended, Dragonfang’s blade had a bright, orange glow to it. The Valkyrie charged forward. She plunged Dragonfang into Tiamat’s body at the pelvis, with her feet braced against the demon. Then the Valkyrie ran up the demon’s body, dragging the blade behind her, slicing a deep wound in Tiamat that extended all the way up through her head.

Once Valkyrie reached the top of Tiamat’s head, she sprung off, flipped and landed on the ground. Tiamat’s body split open and burnt to cinders almost immediately.

The Valkyrie’s eyes opened once more. She rose from the ground and drew Dragonfang in an instant. In the next instant, she had spun it around, cutting through the necks of the monks. Their lifeless bodies fell at her feet. The circle was dropped when Tiamat had entered her body and now the Valkyrie was free once more.

Mr. White stepped forward, lighting a fresh cigar. Mr. Moore and Mr. Grant, however, shuffled backwards to the side of the room, sinking into the shadows.

“I do believe a hasty retreat is in order, Mr. Moore.”

“Indeed, Mr. Grant. I’m inclined to agree with you.”

The Valkyrie stepped out from the circle, the monks’ black blood dripping from her blade. She fixed her steely gaze upon Mr. White. “You sought to corrupt my body, to fill it with the essence of a demon.”

“That’s what I do, my little Valkyrie. I install creatures into vessels which are capable of containing their essences,” said Mr. White. “And I do it well, so my services don’t come cheap.”

“Tiamat is gone,” said the Valkyrie. “You have failed.”

Mr. White chuckled at this. “No, Tiamat is still around. You just forced her essence from your body. But she can’t die. She’ll be back, and when she does, I imagine she’ll want some payback.”

“You shan’t live to see it.”

Mr. White grinned. “I don’t need to. Just knowing it’ll happen is all I need.”

“Then let that knowledge be of comfort to you in the realm of Hela!” cried the Valkyrie, impaling Mr. White on her blade. Mr. White coughed as his glasses fell, revealing the hollow sockets where his eyes should be. He started to laugh.

“Enjoy what’s left of your life…” he said with a smile, “…little Valkyrie.”

Brunnhilde drew the blade from his body and Mr. White fell to the ground. Almost instantly, his body went into an advanced state of decay before withering away to nothing more than dust. The Valkyrie sheathed Dragonfang against the scabbard and left the Caro Institute.

For the first time in longer than she could remember, Brunnhilde had been restored to her full power. Unfortunately, it came at the cost of Samantha Parrington’s life. Her next task was clear—try and find a way to rescue Samantha Parrington.

And she knew just the Sorcerer to ask…