Berlynda stood gazing vacantly at the brilliant beam, recalling the age when the Goddess Sól still drove the Chariot of Fire across the sky, before the giant wolf Sk?ll devoured everything during Ragnarok. In this new era of light under the reign of the High God Baldur, Berlynda no longer knew—nor cared to know—who had taken Goddess Sól's place to drive the sun she once knew in ancient times.
The gods radiated an Aura—a warm luminance that bestowed peace and tranquility upon those around them. This was a feat a Valkyrie like Berlynda could never replicate. Though they were called "Black-Winged Angels," they were, after all, not gods.
Sunlight had returned to the heavens thanks to the prowess of the God Modi and the Valkyrie Lylith, who had together slain the giant wolves Sk?ll and Hati to usher in this new age.
To Berlynda, the God Modi was a stranger. This stood in stark contrast to Magni, who had often visited Fólkvangr (Goddess Freyja's training camp) to converse and exchange philosophies with her. In truth, both she and Magni had shared a bond as fellow disciples of the God Tyr.
"Even you have left me, Magni," Berlynda lamented softly, her voice heavy with sorrow.
Yet, Magni's death was inextricably bound to her own actions. It was she who had assisted Enya, a High Elf leader, in summoning the indomitable spirit from Odin's magic spear to create Dark Asanee—the very assassin who had ultimately beheaded Magni.
In her heart, Berlynda was riddled with guilt and desperately desired to rewrite the story that would unfold from this moment on. Thus, she resolved: "I must protect God Modi from the High Elves' assassination attempts at all costs."
It was this thought that caused Berlynda's lips to curl into a smile filled with self-mockery.
"Does the mighty God Modi, wielder of the hammer Mj?lnir, truly require a forest witch like me to shield him from such threats?"
She continued her bitter internal monologue. "And it is I who helped create the deadliest assassin to hunt him... What an inescapable Pact of Sin this truly is."
Suddenly, a figure manifested. It was a short-haired girl in a white shirt and red skirt, clutching a large wooden bucket.
"Aki...!?" Berlynda exclaimed, her voice tinged with genuine shock. It was unthinkable that a Valkyrie once hailed as the greatest could not sense the approach of her own apprentice.
Aki did not speak. She merely smiled faintly at the corner of her mouth before handing the large bucket of water to Berlynda.
"Put the bucket down. I do not wish to wash my face right now," Berlynda commanded, narrowing her eyes at her apprentice's strange behavior. She thought to herself, 'This is the nature of a Summoned Entity. They are anomalies that even I cannot predict.'
Aki was a construct of the sword Sumarbrander, forged by Berlynda's will, just as Dark Asanee had been birthed from the spear Gungnir.
Aki placed the bucket down and stood as still as a stone statue, awaiting Berlynda's next order.
"Come to think of it, I have no right to stand as God Modi's protector. But if I were to go out and hunt down Dark Asanee... that is a form of atonement I can actually claim, is it not?" Berlynda whispered to herself. As she finished speaking, she unconsciously reached out and gently touched Aki's shoulder.
Aki looked at the hand resting on her shoulder with a completely impassive expression; neither joy nor sorrow graced her features.
"Let's do this. Let us prepare for our journey," Berlynda whispered beside Aki's left ear.
Aki nodded once and immediately walked away to pack her belongings. She asked no questions about their destination or the details of the journey. This absolute obedience made Berlynda realize she could not delay any longer, and she hurried to pack her own gear as well.
They finished their meager preparations just as the people of West Witch Gate village were starting their day. Smoke could be seen rising into the sky all across the village, carrying the savory scent of breakfast into the air—a scent Berlynda felt a special attachment to.
Previously, this village was ruled by Samantha, one of the Nine Unicorn Witches, who enforced a strict rule: no meat was to be consumed in the morning. Consequently, the village was perpetually steeped in the smell of mushroom soup. However, since Berlynda became the village head, this stricture had been abolished. Now, the morning atmosphere was vibrant and alive.
As Berlynda and Aki were about to step out of the village and into the Echoing Woods (ómskor), a young woman's voice called out from behind.
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"It is a rare occasion for me to rise early to pick mushrooms, but it seems fortune favors me today."
Berlynda turned and found a golden-haired girl in pajamas, clutching a cloth-covered basket.
"Amanda..." Berlynda uttered the name of her first apprentice, caught completely off guard.
Amanda approached, her face clearly displaying her displeasure. "Master, are you setting off on a journey and leaving me behind again?"
"You should stay here to maintain the position of Village Head in my stead," Berlynda stated firmly.
"Master...! This time, no matter what, you must let me tag along."
"Did you not hear the reason why you must remain as the acting Village Head?"
"I refuse! You cannot keep leaving me behind like this," Amanda protested. Suddenly, she pointed a finger at Aki, who stood silently beside Berlynda, and spoke with serious intent. "Let her be the temporary Village Head, and let me follow you on the journey for a change."
"This..." Berlynda was stunned. She knew Amanda was expressing a sense of injustice—that the Master seemed to favor one apprentice over the other.
"Master, you must be fair to me..." Amanda said, her voice trembling with slight resentment.
"Aki cannot take on the duties of a Village Head like you can," Berlynda said, placing her right hand on Amanda's shoulder.
"Then let my mother take the position instead," Amanda argued reasonably. "If a flight of dragons attacks the village, there are already protocols in place. And if the threat is too severe for those measures, it makes no difference whether I am here or not. Therefore, Master, please let me go with you."
Berlynda fell silent. She knew well that West Witch Gate was located in a part of Svartalfheim (Land of the Dwarves) that the Nine Unicorn Witches had seized from the dragons. It was impossible to predict when the dragons might return to reclaim it. Furthermore, the Dwarves themselves were an unpredictable race, occasionally banding together to raid the village. Her departure always posed a risk.
"Very well, Amanda. I will let you come along," Berlynda finally said. Her voice was flat but carried a heavy weight.
Amanda's eyes lit up with joy for a split second before Berlynda added, "But we must ask your mother first."
Berlynda paused, looking directly into her apprentice's eyes. "Because this journey will be extremely dangerous. We are going to face the High Elves, who are said to be more vicious than dragons."
The Master's words wiped the smile from Amanda's face. She did not reply, biting her lip gently, knowing full well that her mother would hardly consent to her following her Master into such peril.
They returned to Amanda's house so Berlynda could seek the opinion of Arnóra, Amanda's mother and the village fabric dyer.
Berlynda and Arnóra were confidantes who had settled in this village around the same time. This middle-aged woman might have appeared to be an ordinary villager, but she was, in fact, a descendant of a noble family from the Kingdom of Amirfar who had eloped with her lover to live in this witch's village.
After listening to the situation from both Amanda and Berlynda, Arnóra fell into thought for a moment before turning to her daughter. "Every journey is fraught with hardship and danger. Do you, who idles the days away, truly intend to go?"
"Mother, I have grown up. I want to see the outside world," Amanda said, trying to sound confident. "Besides, the greatest Valkyrie is with me; how could there be any danger?"
Arnóra listened, then reached out to touch her daughter's shoulder. "Your Master is skilled, that is beyond doubt. But are you certain you will not be a burden to her?"
"Mother..." Amanda let out a sharp cry of frustration. Her face turned bright red with a mix of anger and shame.
Berlynda stood silently, but throughout Arnóra's scolding, she felt a pang of guilt. After all, she was Amanda's only teacher.
Arnóra suddenly turned back to address Berlynda. "Taking Amanda on this journey... will she not be too much of a burden to you?"
"This journey is surrounded by danger on all sides. You have heard stories of the High Elves. My goal is to confront one of their elite assassins. It is dangerous in the extreme," Berlynda explained.
"If it is that dangerous, why then did you choose to take this apprentice with you, while leaving my daughter behind?" Arnóra spoke heatedly. She was, after all, a mother and could not help but take her daughter's side. Her eyes were fixed on Aki, who stood as still as a mindless statue, refusing to accept that this girl was any more capable than her own daughter.
Berlynda could not reveal the secret that Aki was a summoned entity to anyone, even those she trusted most. She could only let out a long sigh. "Haa... Very well. Amanda may come along."
Amanda could hardly believe her ears. A wide, beaming smile broke out across her face. She was ready to leap into her Master's arms but was stopped by her mother's voice.
Arnóra stepped closer to Berlynda. "Village Head, can you promise me... that you will protect my daughter's safety as best as you can?"
"Arnóra, my friend," Berlynda said sincerely. "In truth, I cannot promise anyone's safety."
Berlynda paused, then removed a small necklace from her own neck and placed it around Arnóra's instead. "But take this. This is a Valkyrie artifact called the 'Kólr-Akr' Necklace."
She touched the necklace she had just given her friend. "When cast into a fire, it will summon the bearer of its twin to your side," Berlynda explained, pointing to Amanda's neck, which already bore an identical pendant.
Berlynda had given this Kólr-Akr necklace to Amanda long ago to use to summon her if the village faced a crisis. Giving her own matching necklace to Arnóra held a deep significance. She explained further, "From now on, you can summon Amanda back to you at any time, just as Amanda can return to you from anywhere. Thus, your lives are now bound in each other's hands."
Arnóra received the magic item with surprise. She nodded slowly in solemn acceptance.
Amanda, standing nearby, rushed in to hug her mother tightly.
They shared a meal of mushroom soup together. Then, Arnóra walked them out, standing and waving goodbye to the trio—Master and apprentices—at the front of the house.
Even after they had walked far away, she continued to stare at their backs, which were now just three small dots moving into the distance. For all three bore the mark of Crimson—Aki's red skirt, Amanda's pinkish-red garments, and Berlynda's flaming red hair.
"Victory to you, Ruby Team!" Arnóra shouted, her voice filled with love and hope.
Miraculously, as if bound by an unseen thread, the three—who should have been too far away to hear—turned back in unison at the exact moment the dyer woman called out to them.