Valkyrie Black

Chapter 16: Morgessa

Valkyrie Black, Age 12

Valkyrie wandered the valley one morning before her lesions would start. Being that it was mostly only the enlisted soldiers performing continuing training here until the next cohort of students arrived, the various masters tended to not want to meet with her until later in the morning.

Val was still up with the first rays of sunshine, so she filled her free time with exploring every inch of the fortress she could reach. While the grand hall’s mastery challenge eluded her, there were few other places a curious twelve-year-old couldn’t reach.

She had yet to be permitted into Suria, but the pass through the mountains was riddled with caves worth exploring. There was a particular path that Val was keen to check out today.

She slipped past the sentries and made her way into the second cave on the left. To most people, this was a very shallow cave with nothing interesting. However, Valkyrie’s thin frame allowed her to check out some interesting formations in the back. There was a narrow passageway that in order to enter one had to lay on their back, extend both arms and shoulders above their head and then pull their body through.

Val wondered if she ate too much one day, if she would get stuck attempting such a passage.

She shimmied through the tight opening and pulled herself up into a pitch-black opening. Val sat in the cool air, focusing her senses. Here, beyond the reach of any light and beyond the sound of the world, absolute silence set in. As she strained her senses, she began to detect the slow drip of water far on the other side of the cave.

Even her own heartbeat sounded loud in the silence of the cave.

[Eyesight impaired. Enhance eyesight?]

The dialog intrigued Valkyrie. Would she be able to see in this total darkness?

[*Accept*]

[Testing viable solutions]

*

*

[ Activate Thermal vision? ]

[Yes]

Val thought she could actually hear the plasma leave one of her crystals before her vision began to shift. At first, all she saw was pitch black, but slowly the cave walls became visible. While everything was still dark and mostly black, there were now shades to the world. She could faintly make out the edges of the wall beside her and she stood, wanting to explore her new domain.

She slowly followed the edge of the wall, being careful of her footing. While her strange new vision let her see some in the pitch black, the floor was uneven and full of small stone growths and deep holes looked like black abysses. As she approached the far wall, her vision began to shift to a light orange as the air in that direction warmed.

She followed the changing air temperatures and found a split in the rock wall just large enough for her to slide through sideways. The slit curved and continued on for almost fifty feet before opening into another open cave. The air here was notably warmer than the cold cave walls providing a stronger contrast for her new vision.

Val froze when she heard the faint sound of voices. Is someone else down here? Where does this cave lead?

She found a passage that slopped downward and followed the curve of the wall until it came to an outcropping that looked down on a huge room. Below, there was a pit of molten lava surrounded by a wide flat area. To Val’s vision, the waves of heat lazily wafted into the air. The magma was blindingly hot, Val had to shield her eyes and look for something cooler to focus her vision on.

It was then that the clash of weapons caught her attention again and she looked to the right side of the room. There was a shaft in the ceiling where cold air was pouring into the room above where three figures could be seen locked in combat. Their bodies gave off a fierce white glow of heat such that Val guessed they had been training for hours in this room.

Two of the figures worked in tandem to attach a third. Around and around the circled, one with twin daggers, the other a long sword. As they attacked, their opponent spun what appeared to be a long staff, fending off the dual attacks with seeming ease.

“Again!” Cracked the husky voice of a mature female. The voice reminded Valkyrie of one of the merchant wives Firm, and full of the authority needed to command a caravan full of men.

The two students renewed their attack but their instructor swept her staff at their legs, tripping one, and eliciting a scream of pain from the other. From the bass notes of the voice and choice of curses, Val guessed that one was a male, likely in his teen years. She quickly ran through a list of youth she was aware of at the fort. The only ones currently present were a teen boy named Cade, and a girl named Alexa.

The rest of the occupants were soldiers in their twenties or older. She wondered why these youths would be getting special training down in the caves.

Suddenly the instructor spun in her direction and Val saw red flash in her vision as an object was hurled in her direction. She was far enough away that she had a full second to roll out of the way as a clod of mud sailed past her face and exploded on the wall behind her.

“Come down from there. If you have the skill to find this place on your own, you likely possess the skills to join in training. My pupils likely can learn a thing or two from one as stealthy as you.”

Val heard a gasp from the girl as she stood. Apparently, the instructor had been the only one who had detected her. Val looked at the stone around her and found a spot she could hang from and drop to a lower level before scampering over a few ledges to reach the smooth landing the trio was using as a training ground.

The instructor was a lady Val didn’t recognize. She appeared to be in her fifties, with silver hair similar to Val’s own. She stood around five foot eight with a lean figure that hid the strength Val had seen clearly demonstrated. This was not a woman to underestimate.

“Silver hair… you must be Valkyrie, Desmond’s little find. I suppose if you found this place on your own, some of what he told me must be true.”

“You know me, mistress. But I am afraid Desmond never mentioned you.” Val returned.

“Rightfully so. My name is not one for him to share. I am Morgessa. I only train the best.”

“Mistress, what is it you teach? I see many soldiers above trained in swords, staffs, and daggers. They also train in pistols and other weapons.”

Morgessa let out a scoff. “They train in basics. Here, in the depths of the sacred mountains, I train to be elite. Here in the heat of the earth, in the darkness of the deep embrace, in the silence of the deeps I train. Those who learn from me will be silent warriors with no limitations of light, no weakness when faced with climate, and will show no mercy. Do you think you have what it takes to be a silent shadow warrior?”

“I have already faced the Shadows. The Scath produce no fear in me.” Val replied confidently.

“Then you do not understand your enemy. Even the great one hundred feared the Scath. There would not have been a hundred-year war if there was nothing to fear for a mere twelve-year-old. From what Desmond told me you have only ever faced the Scath Wraiths. You have never truly faced a Thrasher, let alone one of their Princes. There is far more darkness in this world than your young mind can fathom.”