Chapter 14: Flashback (Part Three: Mistaken Identity) In the dragon and phoenix realm of Dragnar, chaos and turmoil started to sweep the land. The dragon god of light, Lothurr, and the phoenix god of light, Karulla, were at each others throats. So a great war between the kingdom of Gimlie, and the kingdom of Zerzura, has taken place. There were many casualties on both sides of the kingdom, as well as from other kingdoms allied with either Gimlie or Zerzura. While this war in Dragnar was taking place, both the Greater Valkyries and their male counterparts, the Greater Einheriar, were having a competition on who can collect the most souls and bring them into the after life. Those who were strong willed and brave got to go to Godheim. The weak willed and feeble, on the other hand, got to be sent to Helheim. However, those who won favor with the gods of Godheim will become either Valkyries or Einheriar, warrior angels that shall protect and defend the eight realms of Yggrasil. In the midst of the war, a wood dragonite named Enzo Gaviota was dying on the battlefields near Gimlie. The armored, green skinned dragon warrior was seeing his life flash before his eyes, as the poison from a poisoned arrowhead started to flow through his slowly dying body. His wings were also sliced off in battle as well, so survival was impossible. He was doomed to die, alone, save for the other dead dragonites and dead phoenix that littered the battlefield. “Imelda...Pollo....please... forgive me!” Enzo said to himself, as he started to cough out blood. “Please...avenge me...my beloved family. (cough) (hack)” Enzo then lets out a death screech before his body becomes cold and lifeless. Enzo is now officially deceased, regretting that he can't see his wife and son until their times have come. --- As Enzo opens his eyes, he looks down at his lifeless corpse and sighs in sadness. “I am dead...why? Why me?” “Greetings noble dragon warrior.” An androgynous female warrior said to the fallen wood dragonite. The warrior had short, red hair adorned with a green headband with two feathers on the back. She wore reddish-brown baggy slacks and gloves that were adorn with gold armor, gauntlets and greaves with ruby red elbow pads and knee pads. She carried a long broadsword with her in battle, indicating that she was a Valkyrie of some sort. “Who might you be?” Enzo asked the Valkyrie. “I am Doll Grethe, the Fire Maiden, the Valkyrie of fire. I am here to recruit you as a fellow Einheriar.” “Really? REALLY?” Enzo asked in disbelief. “You are really a Valkyrie?” “Of course I am, dear dragon warrior.” Doll Grethe replied impatiently. “You know, I do have a name.” Enzo said to Doll Grethe. “Okay. What might your name be?” Doll Grethe wondered. “My name is Enzo Gaviota.” Enzo replied. “Pleased to meet you.” “Well, Enzo...” Doll Grethe said calmly. “You shall have a place in Walhalla, a heaven for strong and brave souls, like yourself.” “Oh geez.” Enzo said, blushing. “You really think I am strong and brave?” “Of course Enzo.” Doll replied, smiling. “Come! Godheim awaits you!” --- Back at Dragnar, Mist Elmbarn approached Enzo's lifeless course and held her head down in disappointment. “Damn it! I'm too late! Someone beat me to him.” With all the soul Mist claimed in Dragnar, she was very upset that someone beat her to claiming Ezio's soul. She heard his cries of sorrow and anguish inside her head before anyone else did. She wanted his soul, but she was too late. “Damn it! When I get my hands on that jackass, I shall.....” Then, Mist heard a couple of enraged voices screaming at her on the battle field outside of Gimlie. “There she is! The whore who killed my husband!” As Mist turned around, she saw two furious mother and son wood dragons gliding close to her, screaming at her and belittling her. The mother dragon and green and yellow skin with horns, fins and huge yellow and green wings. Her avian face wore an expression of rage and sadness. The son was a chubby dragon who like both parents, had yellow and green skin, two stubby horns on the top of his head, and had a pair of red wings on his back. He also looked very displeased with Mist Elmbarn as well. “You have to understand....I....” Mist stuttered nervously as the wood dragons started to circle her and shoot down angry glances at her. “SHUT UP WHORE!” The mother dragon shouted. “You think I, Imelda Gaviota, would fall for some lies that you tell us?” “But I'm not a liar....I am....” Mist protested, only to be interrupted by Imelda's son. “I heard enough!” Imelda's son screeched as he slammed a medium sized rock up against Mist's head, rendering the Valkyrie unconscious. “Come on Mama, let's teach that bitch a lesson!” “Yes, my dear Pollo.” Imelda said to her son Pollo as she patted him on the head. “We will put this trollop in her place.” The dragons dragged the unconscious Mist off with them to their homeland of Ithor, which wasn't too far away from the kingdom of Gimlie. On the way to their homeland, the mother and son dragons were thinking of a suitable punishment for the Valkyrie that they captured. They made sure she will suffer, and suffer she will. --- When Mist finally regained consciousness, she found herself barefoot and wearing a white cotton dress, and was totally stripped of all her armor and weapons. She was also bound to a huge wooden stake with thorny, vine like ropes that dug into her supple flesh. She tried to break free, but the ropes got tighter as she struggled, digging the sharp thorns deeper into her skin, making her draw blood at the same time. No matter how much she struggled and tried to get herself free, the rope would always have a mind of its own and get tighter and more constricting every time she struggled. Therefore, there was no hope for escaping from this dire situation. “Someone, anyone...! Please....help me!” Mist cried out in pain and anguish. “So, the harlot of the battlefield has awoken.” A male voice said to her in a mocking tone. While Mist turned her head around, she saw Imelda and her son Pollo surrounding her, looking like they were going to rip her from limb to limb. “Explain yourself Missy!” Imelda screeched as she started to yank Mist's teal hair as hard as she could, making the Valkyrie yelp in pain. “Why did you kill my husband, and claim his soul?” Tears started to form in Mist's eyes as she started to explain what happened. “But...I didn't kill him. I didn't claim his soul (sob) (moan). Someone else did this, I swear to the all mighty Odinn that someone else....” “Dumb ass bitch!” Imelda snarled as she slapped Mist in the face as hard as she could. “Admit it! You killed my daddy!” Pollo hollered as he joined in with his mother on slapping Mist in the face, leaving bright red marks on the Valkyrie's youthful face. “Admit it bitch! ADMIT IT!” “But I didn't kill him!” Mist protested in tears. “I DID NOT KILL HIM!” “LIAR!” Imelda screamed as she and Pollo started to unsheathe their fangs that dripped with venom. “This is going to hurt....It's going to hurt big time!” Pollo said in a menacing voice, or at as menacing as a slightly high pitch voice could sound. But Mist was still scared and miserable. Mist was started to prepare for the worst as the wood dragons started to brandish their venomous fangs. She closed her eyes and waited for the worst. There, before she knew it, the wood dragons started to sink their fangs into the Valkyrie's flesh. She wailed and screamed in agony as the mother and son dragons started to bite her in various places of her body, injecting drops of venom into her body. “Nooooo! AAAAAAAAAAAACK!” Mist wailed as she felt pain like she never felt before. Even her first transformation from a Samjok-o raven to her humanoid form was nowhere near as painful as this ordeal she was facing at this moment. Little did Mist know is that both Imelda and Pollo were not planning to kill her with their venom, but to inject her with enough venom to cause her pain and suffering. And it was working. Mist was in so much pain, that she didn't know how much she could take anymore. “STOP IT! STOP IT! WAAAAH!” Mist howled in agony. To Mist's surprise, Imelda and Pollo stopped injecting venom and started to talk to her. “Are you ready to tell us the truth?” “But...but...I am telling the truth. (sniff) (sniff)” Mist sobbed hysterically. “I didn't kill your husband, nor did I claim his soul. I swear to Odinn!” “Bull shit!” Pollo screeched as he punched Mist in the stomach. The Valkyrie cried in pain and felt like she was going to lose her lunch at any moment. But she ended up swallowing the bile that came up. She didn't want to lose face to her tormentors. “Now you're in for some serious pain!” Imelda sneered in rage, as she and Pollo started to shoot toxic fireballs at some twigs and tree branches that were nearby them. “You are going to suffer big time!” “NOOOOOOO!” Mist cries in anguish as she started to get flogged with burning tree branches, burning her sensitive flesh. “HEEEEEEEELP! HEEEEEELP! Someone....ANYONE.....HELP!” --- Meanwhile, in Walhalla, just as Eir got done healing Enzo's soul, she started to hear Mist's voice scream out to her. The screams were so pitiful, that it started to alarm her sworn sister. “Mist...MIST!” “What's wrong Lady Eir?” Enzo asked as he was recovering from his pain. “My sworn sister...Mist....” Eir said in shock. “She's....in danger!” “What are you waiting for my lady?” Enzo asked. “Go and save her!” “That's exactly what I am going to do!” Eir said as she started to morph into her snowy owl form. “I can't let my beloved sworn sister suffer like this!” Eir started to fly out of Walhalla castle, feeling very distressed and panicked over Mist's pain and suffering. The Owl Valkyrie followed the Bifrost bring out of Godheim and down to the other seven realms beneath Yggrasil, until she finally came across the world of Dragnar. “Mist! Hang in there! I'll save you!” --- A half hour later, Mist just stood their, tied to the stake with the thorny rope, crying and weeping in pain. Her body was covered in pokes, bruises, scars and burns. The pain was too much for Mist, but she was determined to stay conscious, she was determined to hang in there and cry out for help. “I'm getting tired of this Mommy.” Pollo whined impatiently. “She's never going to tell the truth.” “Looks like I have no choice, but to execute her and send her soul back to where she came.” Imelda said back, giving Mist a hateful glare. “Noooo...no.....!” Mist gasped in agony. Her voice was raw from all the screaming and wailing. It was now painful for Mist to talk. “Prepare to die trollop!” Imelda shouted out as she and Pollo got ready to incinerate Mist with their toxic fire breath. Mist just stood there helplessly, awaiting her fate, with tears flowing down her eyes. “Forgive me Lord Odinn....Forgive me Lady Frigga....” But just as Imelda and Pollo got ready to incinerate Mist, a divine snowy owl came in and shot out a ray of light at the two dragons. “Leave that girl alone!” As Imelda and Pollo were bathed in holy light, fear started to flow though their body. Because they knew this was no ordinary snowy owl, for this snowy owl was the Valkyrie Eir. “WAAAAH! Spare us our Lady Eir!” Right in front of everyone, Eir started to revert back to her humanoid form and brandished her enchanted mace. “Listen to me....Obey me! As Eir, the Valkyrie of healing and holiness, I order you two to stop torturing my sworn sister.” “Y...yes my Lady!” the dragons shrieked in fear. As Eir lowered her enchanted mace, she pulls out a small knife and started to cut the thorny, vine-like ropes and freed Mist from the stake she was tied to. Mist was too weakened and in pain to stand up, so Eir decided to carried the wounded Valkyrie in her arms. Eir turned her attention to Imelda and Pollo, and said, “Now, let me tell you both the truth, and what your beloved husband has told me when I healed him.” “Okay...very well.” Imelda said in a somber tone of voice. “My sworn sister, Mist Elmbarn, did NOT kill your husband, nor did she claim his soul.” Eir explained to the wood dragonites. “My beloved Enzo told you that?” Imelda asked. “Are you sure about this?” Pollo added, still feeling a little leery of the Valkyrie of healing. “Yes, I nursed his soul back to health myself.” Eir replied. “It was a Valkyrie named Doll Grethe that claimed your husband's soul after he died. She is also known as the Fire Maiden, for she has red hair, as well as a fiery and unpredictable personality.” “So it was that woman that claimed my husband's soul?” Imelda asked, as tears formed in her eyes. Now the dragoness and her son felt ashamed of what they have done. They were torturing an innocent young woman without even knowing it. “We're so sorry!” Pollo sobbed as he and his mother were begging for forgiveness. “We didn't know she was innocent. Please forgive us Lady Eir! Please?” “I forgive you both.” Eir said as she bowed her head. “I...forgive you both...as well (cough) (hack).” Mist cough in a sore, scratchy voice. “Now, we have to go....” Eir said to the wood dragons. “Stay strong. Enzo will always be watching over you both, and help guide the way for you all.” “Thank you...our ladies...!” Imelda and Pollo said back, with tears forming in their eyes. “Now, we're on our way....farewell!” Eir said as she sprouted wings from her back, and brought Mist with her back to Walhalla kingdom, where she could nurse the injured girl back to health. --- Back at Walhalla castle, Eir started to give Mist a bath in holy water blessed with poison nullifying elixirs and tonics used to heal burns and scars. While Eir was healing Mist in her blessed bath water, she ordered her lesser Valkyries to give Mist some liquids for her to drink, so her voice can be healed. “Thank you for saving me Sis.” Mist said as she reveled the feel of the warm holy water that surrounded her naked body. “If you didn't come to bail me out...I swear I would be....” “Now now, it's okay Mist.” Eir interrupted calmly. “It's over and done with. It's all in the past.” “Yes Sis.” Mist said back. “I still wonder how they are doing back in Dragnar though...” --- Outside the bath chambers, Odinn and Frigga were discussing matters with Doll Grethe. The fire haired Valkyrie knelt before her master and mistress in honor. “My Lord, my Lady, I am at your service.” “Good Doll.” Odinn said back. “Me and Frigga have a new mission for you.” “We were going to get Mist to carry out this mission, but she is badly wounded at this moment.” Frigga added. “What is the mission?” Doll asked, trying hard not to show her impatience. “Well Doll...” Odinn started to explain. “I want you to raid the kingdom of Niflheim, and bring us back Queen Hel or any of her relatives as our prisoner.” “We are not letting them get away with torturing you to death.” Frigga explained. “Plus, with your new recruits, it shall be easier this time around, since they are now battle angels and not mere humans.” Doll thought hard about this and a wicked grin formed on her face. “Why, my Lord and Lady, I'd be more than happy to take prisoners from Niflheim. I shall teach those demonic bastards a harsh lesson they shall never forget.” Odinn and Frigga smiled and patted Doll Grethe on the shoulders. “That's our lady!” “Now, go....get those demonic freaks!” Odinn commanded. “Yes sir!” Doll Grethe saluted as she made her way out of Walhalla palace. As Doll and her soldiers followed Bifrost to the bottom of its Yggrasil's roots and down to Helheim, she was feeling very excited to get her revenge and was more than happy to ravage Niflheim once more. “Yes! Vengeance is mine! I shall punish them all severely, to the point where they'll wish they never existed. Ah ha ha ha ha haaaa!”