– T A Y A H –

It wasn't long before the brown haired immortal found me again and dragged me through a portal. I took in our surroundings quickly and found the water dry up in my mouth.

"A desert?" I looked at her flatly.

"Indeed, I shan't have one of my apprentice's in a comfortable environment. This is about challenge." She told me as she walked a few steps across a vast and flat plain of cracked and dried earth. Dust swept up in the baking sun. I was told I could not die in Valhalla from such things other than immortal power but still...

She took up a firmer stance and cast her palm forward. Her dark armour still shone in the dust and on her gauntlets. A ring of immortal energy fused into a portal between us.

"Your most useful tool to navigating Valhalla. This does not come from your elemental but your energy as an immortal Valkyrie. It must be called out from this and cast into focus."

It sat burning a white ring before us and I stared. Then it vanished.

I raised my palm and tried to call on such energy. But my fire elemental simply blazed in my hand. Astrid shook her head and stepped closer to my burning palm.

"Do not think of it summoning from your hand but from yourself. Your hand is simply the exit of energy to formation."

"Yes that is so much clearer now." I drawled resisting an eye roll.

She merely smiled and nodded missing the sarcasm entirely. I focused my power once more trying to move it from out of my chest to the space before me. Suddenly my skin was alight with flames and licking past my dark tunic that did not burn.

She shook her head and moved to stand beside me. She raised both hands and let them drop to her sides exhaling as she did. Then set her stance and drew a hand forward.

The ring appeared again.

"You see?"

"Immortal, you realise the only difference was you letting out a breath and drooping your shoulders. This does not explain much." I deadpanned.

This time she moved a hand to my shoulder and I resisted the urge to flinch. The gesture was nothing more than a hand but it felt intrusive all the same. Then I felt her own hot energy pass through me and my eyes grew brighter.

"Try now, immortal."

I had no response other than to raise my hand and watch as a bright ring fused before us with a crackle. I grinned at the thing marvelling the portal. It was not yet large enough to step through so I focused our combined energy until it was wider, wider still and brighter–

It exploded before us and threw us off our feet with a loud bang.

My head rang like a bell and the desert blurred before me. I coughed and rolled onto my side to see Astrid unaffected and offering her hand to me.

"You–expected that?" I choked out.

There was no amusement on her features. Merely patience.

"The fire elemental is more destructive and unpredictable. This is also why I chose barren surroundings. It is also easy for me to absorb."

At this she cast two fingers into the sky and released what I assumed was the explosive energy moments ago into the sky. I watched in awe and got to my feet dusting off my tunic.

"Easy for some." I mumbled.

"It too shall be easy for you. We share the same elemental." She stated as she gestured to the space before us. "You remember the feel of the power I passed to you. Now replicate it."

I rolled my shoulders back and dropped her a nod. The feeling of it was more in the base of the stomach. I felt buzzing rather than burning. I called it from a different part of me now and to my shock it fuzed into shape without effort.

"Excellent!" She congratulated. "In honesty I was expecting to be here for much longer."

"What?" I asked confused before she created one of her own and pushed me through it. I landed into waves of water and struggled quickly to stay afloat. It was not such a nightmare as the storm Odin had tested me in but treading endless waves was still difficult under the drag of clothing. They never gave a woman fair warning.

"As it is in the mortal realm!" She called out swimming near by. "No matter your situation, a portal can be called upon if you have the focus and energy!" She fused a glowing portal below her feet in demonstration and gestured for me to do the same. Bubbles rose viciously below.

I calmed my mind and took measured breaths before performing the same move below me. She grinned over the waves at me and nodded. The called another portal over my head and cast it onto me. I dropped onto my feet on a grassy plain this time. Surrounded by woodland.

She appeared before me and gave me a more serious look. "Now more importantly for your desired location. Valhalla is an expansive place–as limitless as the mind. Some places have been built by Odin for collective use like the Prism bridge and our immortal tavern. Others come from a Valkyrie's own creation. The more exceptional the power the more impressive the landscape."

"So Kára... the place of her home was all of her making?"

Astrid nodded. "Impressive no?"

"Yes." I agreed simply. Thinking of the sunrises on the snowcapped mountains. The vast balcony overlooking all and the architectural marvel.

"I hope you have a good memory." Astrid said, drawing my attention back. "Because you are going to create a portal to take us somewhere of your own recollection."

I blanked at this. "It's not going to kill us if it is not completely accurate correct?"

Astrid grinned at me. "Perhaps one way to find out?"

"Fantastic." I muttered to myself. I took a step forward and thought of somewhere I had been on this realm. I shaped it in my mind for a while as I let the power fill me. It was not familiar enough to render exact detail. How much detail came into play? What if I only half created it and took us somewhere entirely wrong... As all of this crossed my mind my nerves built.

"Come, immortal." Astrid urged.

I drew my hand forth and was ready to create the portal. At the last moment it left my hand I thought of somewhere more familiar. Somewhere I had been many times. In a different life and with different friends. Only for a moment I let it come and then I let the portal fuse before us in a bright glow.

Astrid looked to it with anticipation and smiled tugging us toward it. But I knew what I had done at the last second not to be of where I should have. No other Valkyrie had memories of the mortal realm–

"Wait, stop I think I–"

She pulled us into the light and I felt a sensation far more disorienting than the standard bright flash of a Valhalla made portal. A glimmer of every spectrum of colour flashed fast and quickly in a rush. A feeling of falling and surfacing. Then bright burning.

I opened my eyes slowly and a thick black scorch mark surrounded us on the grassy hill before Ravensbrooke. The power that had run through me just now left me dropping to a knee.

Shit. 

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Astrid slowly rose to her feet near me and froze. Turning to me slowly.

"That. This is not possible. You. How could–" Her eyes cut across the hill and landed on the town of Ravensbrooke below. "You took us. To the mortal realm?"

I stared back at her and then to the town with no small amount of my own shock.

"I–I didn't–this is not what I meant for."

"No Valkyrie can travel to the mortal realm without the Prism bridge. The bridge between our world and mortal. This makes no sense." She murmured dragging a hand through her hair quickly. "Take us back. Now please."

I took a breath. Slowly and then began to focus my thoughts. Now thunder sounded above. She glanced up and remained focused on me. A spark left my hand barely and nothing further came. I grit my teeth and tried again to no avail.

"Immortal, this is not amusing nor the time."

"I am trying." I snapped. "My energy barely feels present after that."

"Here." She stated, placing a hand on my shoulder and letting hers pour into me. But now it only allowed flames to spark outwards.

"I've never. I never finished focusing my power on the mortal realm–"

"You what?" She demanded. Now staring openly at me. "How did you ascend?"

"It's complicated." I shrugged with no small anxiety in my voice.

"That is not enough. We are on the mortal realm, immortal. I do not have my weapons. You do not even have armour–" She started to get hysterical.

"Look you've got to stop panicking. I know these parts well. I have survived without immortality among these people."

She looked truly confused now but I did not want to explain that long tale of mortal memories now. I drew my long hair back into a braid and spoke slowly as I did.

"Kára is with Revna in the city of Vayleron as we speak. They hunt the immortal, Anselle." Her eyes took on a new light as she stored this information. "We are but a few days ride–or run depending on how much immortal energy I have left after that..." I mused.

In fact this could have played into my hands much more than I first considered. I could find John and Kaden myself...

"I must commune with Odin. He no doubt is aware of our perils and will return us–"

"Interesting how he has not acted already."

"What do you mean?" She asked sharply.

"Well it may well be a test for one of us." I shrugged at her. She shook her head sharply.

"Leaving two of his Valkyrie's without damandium weapons is insanity."

"Or a challenge." I smirked.

She stared at me like I had lost all sense. "This is not a game. The mortal realm could be the end of existence in an instant."

"Trust me. I know the feeling." I muttered, glancing over at Ravensbrooke.

Astrid took a long breath and cast her eyes to the smoke on the horizon.

"If Odin is biding his time for other reasons then we must survive intelligently." She decided. "We are to find horses and you will lead us to the city Stormbringer is present."

"My thoughts exactly immortal. Follow my lead and we shall be back in the land of pretentiousness sooner than you can say Valhalla."

"Valhalla." She sighed, turning and heading in the direction of mortals.

* * * * * 

The clouds were still churning in suspicious greys as we neared the walls of Ravensbrooke. A steady stream of farmers were drawing the day's yield inside the walls when I thought halted me.

"Wait." I stopped Astrid and she turned her eyes over her black shining armour. "You don't even look remotely civilian. It will draw too much attention."

Her frown melted into quick agreement. "Yes–of course. I should have gathered us relevant mortal guises." Her eyes quickly sort other places around us and I sighed slowly as I watched her try to contain her clear nerves.

"When were you last on the mortal realm?" I asked quietly.

Her eyes kept scanning for items that were not presenting themselves. I cleared my throat and her steel eyes flickered back to be and she swallowed.

"A few hundred years only." She muttered quickly.

"A few. Hundred." I repeated flatly, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I am no less skilled–"

"It is not your power I am questioning, Astrid. It is your ability to walk the streets without looking like a myth." I deadpanned. I then noted the crest of a fabric trader wheeling down the mud path before us.

I shook my head and held up a hand. "Stay here. Don't do anything stupid."

She scoffed as I tugged the collar of my black tunic and jogged towards the dealer's cart. In honesty I was just used to a certain other immortal doing rash things in the presence of mortals. I still didn't know if that was a trait Astrid had.

I neared the donkey led cart and a withered old man with a thick purple cloak ground his teeth.

"Good day to you, Sir!"

"Ain't no Sir and ain't a charity neither." He dismissed with a wave expecting different intentions.

"Oh!" I made to appear completely shocked by the move as I walked easily beside the slow pace he set. "I was under false impression you traded rare and cultivated fabric."

His head snapped to mine with more intention now. They widened taking in my face and stature. Then finally landing on the otherworldly fabric I wore and a new light taking his eye.

"Appears I miss spoke a step lass. You have some fine fabric yourself. Zanos weave?" He inquired, pulling on the reins to halt his cart. He adjusted a glass circle before his eye. I had only seen one other in Zanos itself before.

"Something like that." I smirked as I made to dust off the immaculate black tunic with gold trim. Kára's black tunic–I thought with no small amusement–was about to become our ticket to incognito among the mortals.

He nodded to himself clearly thinking himself in on some blackmarket joke. No doubt seeing something as fine as this as stolen wares.

"What are you lookin' to trade such a thing for?" He said with a white eyebrow raised.

I smiled widely and tilted my head.

Once I had listed the simple itinerary I walked away in a thick brown cloak that sat over my shoulders and flowed past my boots and another set of mortal clothes tucked under my arm. The fabrics dealer was thoroughly impressed by the turn the day had taken for him and whistled as he urged his donkey onwards.

Astrid remained under a tree with her arms crossed as I approached.

She eyed my new look curiously before eyeing the cloth in my arm.

"You cannot expect me to surrender my armour." 

"I expect you, immortal–" I told her as I threw a cheap travel sack at her head–which she caught. "–to take the gleaming beacon to your identity and stick it in the bag."

She scowled hard and I made to turn my back completely and start adjusting my cloak and new cheap boots appropriately.

"You just gave up immortal fabric. To a mortal." She growled at my back. I flicked her the finger and stretched my arms out.

"I just prevented us from becoming the talk of the town. Then ultimately the talk of Vayleron." I summarised as I analysed my nails. "You have no idea how fast word spreads these days."

She grumbled unintelligible things until I heard the right clothes being thrown over her and her armour being carefully set into the large bag on her back. When I finally turned around the immortal was already striding past me to the town.

"Perhaps I can find a good drink to rectify this span." She muttered.

I had to use all of my self control not to start a laugh that would not stop. So I measured my breaths watching her brown hooded back as I spoke.

"You're going to have to lower your standards on the good part about that drink."

"You and I are not off to a good start, immortal." Was all she said as the sky thundered above suddenly.

I smiled up at it.