Chapter 160: Chapter 229 – End of the World

“Before you get into another of your neverending tangents, I think we should take care of introductions first.” Bryn raised a brow at her quite eager friend.

The short girl giggled awkwardly and fixed her glasses. “Ah, right. My apologies. I got a little bit too into it.”

“And it was finally getting interesting…” Miria pouted dejectedly as her fluffy ears flopped down.

Asterios chuckled and scratched behind those adorable, rounded treasures. “I’m sure we’ll get to hear that story soon but Bryn is right. We should get to know each other first.”

Their new friend cleared her throat and everyone turned to the braided Valkyrie. “My name is Atra and I’m one of the scholars from Brage specializing in the history of our people from before the Cataclysm. It’s my pleasure to meet… whatever you girls are. And of course, you too. I’d have never imagined that you would bring a god to me, Bryn!”

Bryn shook her head while rubbing her temples. “Asterios is not a god…”

“Yet.” Grea snickered.

“Well, he certainly looks like one. What else would he be if not a god? It’s not like there are beings other than the valkyrjas and the Scourge in our world.” Atra extended her arms to the sides. “Oh, and I guess whatever your peculiar friends are here. Where did you hide until now without wings?”

“What do you mean by saying that he looks like one?” Tina raised a curious brow at the scholarly Valkyrie.

Atra bolted away towards a bookstand and started digging through numerous heavy tomes. Everyone thought that she was looking for something but she just dropped all of the books to the ground and reached into the shelf, pulling something with a click. The entire rack sprung a little forward and she used the piece of furniture like a door, opening access to another set of shelves filled with documents and other sources of text.

Grabbing a specific tome, she hastily returned to them and flipped through the pages in front of their eyes. After the fluttering paper came to a stop, a depiction of a naked man gazing into an apple with a green snake coiled around his forearm entered their sight.

“This here is Loki, one of the ancient gods that ruled over Heven. As you can see, the general shape of his body is much different from the valkyrjas, and very much similar to the person you called Asterios. The records say that the gods abandoned us long before the Scourge annihilated our world but there certainly had to be some lesser ones that were left behind. This would be the first sighting of a god in… ages. Where did you find him, Bryn?” Atra explained, turning to her friend with a sparkling gaze.

“Why haven’t I ever heard anything about the gods being men? And why haven’t I ever seen any artworks like this?” Bryn furrowed her brows.

Her small friend closed the book with a loud thump. “This information requires the highest possible clearance so no one except for the Council and a few chosen individuals are aware of the truth. Why? I think you can imagine that the last thing our people need right now is to ponder over the resemblance of the Scourge to the depictions of the ancient gods. There are things that are better left unsaid. Ignorance is bliss.”

“So, those monsters really are men?” Asterios asked while rubbing his chin.

“It’s a bit more complex than that.” Atra glanced at him and clearly used that opportunity to check him out as much as she could before someone else required her full attention.

“Alright. Let’s tackle it one step at a time.” Bryn sighed heavily. “First, this man here is Asterios. He isn’t from Heven but from Kraedorion, a different realm where many races exist, and those races usually have males and females, our equivalent of Valkyrs and Valkyries, but the males look more like the god you showed us.”

“Another realm?!” Atra gasped and her eyes went wide. “How?!”

“Master is a Summoner and he summoned Bryn to make our party stronger and safer!” Miria exclaimed, proudly puffing out her chest as if she took even bigger pride in that fact than the person in question.

“No way… It’s possible to summon and contract being so similar to us? Is this true?” Atra gawked at Bryn and Asterios in turns.

“Our master is quite special.” Selene let out a ladylike chuckle. “Thanks to his draconic lineage, he can bypass a thing or two and even turn members of other intelligent races into his summons.”

“While I’m not sure if Asterios is a god, he certainly is a True Dragon,” Silvia added. “Weren’t some of the most powerful Dragons revered like gods back in the era of Draconic Conquests?”

“A Dragon?!” Atra squealed again. “Those mythical creatures that even gods had issues dealing with?! If I remember correctly, the World Serpent was an ancient Lesser Dragon and it took them immense effort to down it. If he is a True Dragon…”

Asterios chuckled softly. “I’m afraid that I would have issues even against a baby Lesser Dragon right now. I can access only parts of my draconic strength. That World Serpent of yours would have most likely made a snack out of me if I ever met it if it fended off literal gods.”

“In any way, Asterios is a man from a different realm and he is currently my master. That’s how he can be here, alongside the other women who are his summons,” Bryn continued.

“And mates!” Miria added with a wide grin.

“Yeah, that could explain a thing or two. It’s not like it would be the first time our people came in contact with men from other realms.” Atra nodded to herself, fixing her small glasses again.

“We have?” Bryn didn’t hide her shock and confusion.

“Let me start from the beginning, then.” Her friend gestured at the quite cluttered table and chairs on the side and they walked to clean it up a little. “Obviously, I need you to promise me that not a single word you hear here makes it past these walls. My head can literally go flying if such sensitive information leaks outside.”

“Why are you so willing to share it if it’s so dangerous for you?” Tina asked curiously.

“Because I can tell that Bryn considers you very close and I trust her wholeheartedly,” Atra replied, evoking a shy smile and a faint blush from the other Valkyrie.

“So, how much of what I know is false?” Bryn sat down as the last person and turned to her friend. “We know each other better than well. You wouldn’t have asked that question earlier if there wasn’t something to it.”

“I wouldn’t call it false per se.” Atra scrunched her face. “You should be aware that we were created by gods ages ago.”

“That’s basic knowledge. Our entire world came into existence thanks to their grace. There’s a reason why all the ARKs bear the names of the most important gods.” Bryn nodded. “Though we have never seen anything pointing out the fact that they were men. At least some of them. Master brought it up during our conversation in the past and I assumed that the information was lacking but it looks like it was just concealed.”

“Yeah. That restriction has seemingly been put in place right about the time the ARKs launched. It might have come from the Sky Queen and the united Council of Twelve.” Her friend smiled wryly. “Anyway, it is true that our world was created by the gods. That includes us, its residents. But, do you know why?”

“Ummm… Did they have a special reason? Besides being bored maybe?”

“Yep.” Atra smiled joyfully, perhaps happy that she could share it with someone. “We have been created as their warriors, messengers, servants. For what purpose? Well, Heven wasn’t the only realm they watched over. The records mention nine of them. And each one was completely different, filled with distinct creatures and landscapes. Our world isn’t included on that list. It was formed for the sole reason of being our home, a place where the gods made us to serve as their representatives amongst all the other worlds.”

“Woaaaahhhhh!” Miria clapped excitedly as her entire figure bounced the more she listened to the story.

“I have to admit, I don’t know if it sounds cool or kind of… sad,” Tina said with a small smile.

“That’s… Unthinkable…” Bryn muttered more to herself than the others. “More than just our realm…”

“That’s not the end, by the way.” Atra showed an even bigger grin. “At first, they created… Valkyries. They took a human woman as a base and introduced a few changes, like the wings or our halos. Back in ancient times, there were no Valkyrs. We lived in Heven, a blessed land lacking nothing, allowed to just go around with our lives whenever our gods didn’t have a task for us to fulfill.”

“How did the Valkyrs come into the play, then?” Grea furrowed her brows. “And why? I bet there were plenty of males good for reproduction in all those realms.”

The charming Valkyrie chuckled quietly as a tinge of rosiness tainted her cheeks. “Since we were created as direct servants and representatives of the gods, they didn’t really like the idea of mortals mingling with their pure creations. I think it’s something similar to an artisan not wanting some snotty kids getting all touchy with their masterpieces. But, that also meant that they had to constantly create more of us whenever we fell in battle, died of old age, as long as it took, or such. And, at some point, they just couldn’t be bothered anymore, getting tired of having to take care of it by themselves.”

“That’s why they decided to create another race, or a variation of it, instead of letting you get together with those mortals?” Selene asked with a slightly unamused expression. “Such a narcissistic bunch.”

“We weren’t treated badly besides that one limitation but I guess I can’t exactly disagree either.” Atra shrugged. “So, that’s when Valkyrs made an appearance, again being a slight modification of the Valkyries that allowed for proper reproductive activities with perfect compatibility. You can say that we became a fully self-sufficient race at that time. We had everything, including the grace of the gods, as long as we didn’t break any crucial rules and still enacted their will. It was a decent deal in return for those living conditions, unaffected by all the unfortunate things happening in and between the nine realms.”

“I see.” Miria nodded merrily and then tilted her head. “But, why do all Valkyries have flat chests?”

“I don’t know but I can guess,” the knowledgeable Valkyrie replied.

“Yeah?” Selene primed her ears, curious too.

“If I was a god creating my subordinates, the people that will become my messengers, warriors, servants, and represent me in front of all my subjects, I would definitely sculpt them fully to my liking if I had the ability and possibility to do so. It would be only natural for me to make something I would like to look at or interact with, ensuring that it will remain a pleasure rather than a chore. Plus, it would be like conveying to all the beings what a god considers perfect or worthy.”

“I can certainly see that,” Tina agreed.

“They might have preferred more toned figures over the well-endowed ones. Everyone knows that the gods loved combat and fighting, and sleeker frames are more adapted to it,” Atra continued. “Unfortunately, that also meant that Valkyries often weren’t capable of feeding their offspring due to their tiny or almost non-existent breasts so the gods fixed that mistake while creating Valkyrs, giving them quite sizable busts.”

“That would explain why it’s Valkyrs who traditionally nurse the newborns. They were literally made for that role,” Asterios commented, nodding to himself.

“Now, that’s an origin story.” Grea snickered and slapped her thigh. “It would sell like crazy if turned into a book in our world. Does the promise of confidentiality consider other realms outside of the ten related to your race?”

Asterios took a hold of her sharp horn and shook Grea’s entire head to the sides a bit. “No profiteering from the secrets of our allies. I’m sure you wanted to make it into a trilogy if not a saga, including not just the rise but also the unfortunate fall.”

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The sly scarlet-skinned woman playfully showed her tongue and everyone chuckled. Well, everyone except for Bryn. Silvia noticed it first and placed her palm over her new friend’s hand.

“Are you alright?” she asked. “This must have been a lot to take in for someone in your position.”

Bryn took a deep breath and showed a warm smile. “It’s okay. This doesn’t change anything. We are who we are no matter how we came to be. There are things we have no influence over and don’t get to choose.”

She glanced at Asterios and they exchanged kind smiles, understanding each other perfectly. Both of them had a past they might or might not wish to have been different. Just as she had comforted him about his circumstances before, he sent his consoling thoughts to her through their bond too, making Bryn feel much more at ease.

“Speaking of the fall, do you maybe know more about this whole Scourge, Atra?” Silvia asked after a moment of silence passed. “I think any information on those monsters could be useful to us right now.”

“Useful for what?” The academic woman raised a brow at her. “Do you want to capture one or have to fight them for some reason? Are you helping in a reconnaissance mission or something?”

“It seems that the news hasn’t reached your ears yet. I’m not that surprised. You hole yourself in the books so much you barely know what happens in the outside world.” Bryn chuckled at her friend.

“What news?” Atra became even more confused.

“We are helping Bryn reclaim the Descending Spire!” Miria announced with a gleeful giggle.

“YOU WHAT?!” The braided Valkyrie slammed the table with her palms. “Bryn, are you crazy?! Is this about that silly promise from ten years ago?! I won’t let you throw your life away for such a stupid thing!”

“No, no, no, wait.” Bryn tried to calm her desperate friend down, unable to stop smiling. “First of all, that promise isn’t silly. Second, no, I’m not doing it just because of that, though it will be a very welcome side result. And third, I’m not throwing my life away. Everyone here is strong enough to take down legions on their own, and Master can raze down entire battlefields. Besides, we have an army.”

She brought out the winged badge and laid it down in front of Atra. The other Valkyrie’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets as she swept it up and examined the token from up close.

“What the hell? Did you steal it?” Atra asked in shock.

Bryn snorted adorably. “Please. Do you think I ever would? Especially considering the consequences?”

“Right. You aren’t like that.” Her friend chuckled, now greatly in awe. “I can’t imagine that you put the entire Tyr’s Council under your thumb. A few of the members always sounded like a huge pain in the ass whenever you talked about them.”

“Trust me, it came as much of a surprise to me as it did to you. But, it also came at a quite heavy cost.” Bryn smiled wryly.

“What happened?” Atra showed a concerned expression.

“I’ll tell you everything later. We should stop getting derailed. All you need to know right now is that the seven of us, plus one more of my Master’s familiars who watches over us from the shadows, are going to clear out the Spire, locate and activate Tyr’s Aegis, and fully take it back from the claws of those monsters, aided by the entire military might of Tyr,” Bryn summed it up.

“Tyr’s Aegis?” The caramel-haired girl raised her brows high. “I think I’m starting to realize why you suddenly came to find me. Those conceited hags must have told you that it’s nothing more than an overexaggerated fairy tale.”

“That’s exactly it.” Miria giggled at her.

“We have a week to find some information that will be able to convince them that this isn’t a complete suicide mission,” Selene added. “Even though we have the full support of pretty much every single valkyrja in Tyr after Master almost ruined the legendary coliseum while dominating the entire War Games.”

“He did what?” Atra looked at Asterios even more inquisitively, glancing at Bryn next. “You hosted War Games out of the season?”

“That was the only way to convince everyone.” Bryn nodded. “Master showed his overwhelming strength and became the Champion after fighting against the four of them in the final round.”

To support her words, Asterios summoned the fancy helmet from his ring right on his head. Atra’s mouth fell agape at the sight and the girls smiled softly as they gazed at the proof of his prowess, reminded of the incredible spectacle Asterios had given them, and the fun they had while fighting him.

“I’ll need all the details.” Bryn’s scholarly friend pointed at her while squinting. “But now, let me answer your question.”

“Yay! More stories!” Miria beamed at her and wiggled herself to snuggle to Ast’s side, making him chuckle.

“The exact source of the Scourge isn’t known to us, and I don’t think it was to our predecessors either,” Atra began. “One thing is for certain, these monsters first appeared in one of the lower realms. Some records speculate that it might have been one of Loki’s mischiefs getting out of control or offending some entity he shouldn’t have. That god was known for his trickery and wicked sense of humor.”

Tina rested her hand on Ast’s wrist and he smiled at her softly. That information gave them more hope that his parents weren’t involved in the fall of Bryn’s world. He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think that he had seen any glimpse of the other realms, or heard any mention come out of his guardians’ lips.

“Nevertheless, the weird curse targeted strictly males,” the Valkyrie continued. “Men bitten or hurt non-lethally turned into those grotesque things and joined the ugly army in wreaking havoc amongst all the nine realms. Their only goal is to bring destruction to everything, kill all the life in our worlds. Even our home wasn’t safe from their reach and Heven was protected by the gods’ magic to prevent access from any uninvited trespassers.”

“Perhaps that’s why the Scourge poured into our realm after the gods disappeared,” Bryn speculated. “Their protection must have disappeared when they abandoned us, seeing no future for the nine annihilated realms.”

“What a bunch of jerks. They should have stayed and protected you guys or at least taken you with them to wherever they went.” Miria huffed in annoyance.

“I agree.” Silvia nodded with a serious expression. “They were responsible for you as their direct subjects. They literally created your race to serve but showed no shred of loyalty towards you in difficult times. Pathetic.”

“Thankfully, your people didn’t give up and saved your entire race with their quick judgment and actions,” Asterios commented. “In the end, you surpassed those gods since you achieved something they couldn’t, or else they wouldn’t have just run away. That’s something to be proud of.”

“And you now have a chance to take a piece of your long-lost land back,” Selene added with a jubilant smile. “I dare to say that things are starting to look good for you.”

“Well, we seem to have been blessed by the presence of a much more benevolent god now.” Atra showed an adorable grin as she glanced at Asterios. “Their depictions in all the records that survived the cataclysm do men no justice.”

“I haven’t seen any before today but I’m fairly sure that you are right.” Bryn chuckled lightly and they started standing up.

“You are leaving already?” Her friend asked with a slightly dejected expression.

“It’s getting late. I didn’t plan on discussing literally everything at once. I wanted to show everyone around a little after the introductions. And, even though we don’t exactly feel like it, I should go and take a rest with Master since we flew non-stop for almost a day to reach Brage,” Bryn explained.

“I see. After everything else, I don’t even feel surprised anymore by that statement.” Atra shook her head with a delicate smile, turning to Asterios. “Before you go… Could I ask for a small favor?”

“Sure,” he replied.

“Can I kiss you?”

The unexpected request stunned everyone, especially Bryn, whose eyes widened to the brim. A wry smile curled Ast’s lips involuntarily as he glanced her way, evoking a fair blush from his Valkyrie friend. Looking back over his shoulder, he raised a brow at all his mates, conveying his question mentally. He didn’t want any of them to feel wronged or uncomfortable.

But, the girls assured him that this much didn’t bother them so he turned back to Atra.

“Are you going to help us with the information on Tyr’s Aegis?” he asked and the short girl made a set of quick nods, gazing intensely at his lips. “Alright.”

A little hesitantly, she stepped closer, getting increasingly more rosy on her cheeks and the bridge of her cute, freckled nose. Asterios extended a hand to the adorable lady and gently pulled her to rest on him, watching Atra’s smile grow by the moment. After he nodded at her, she stood on her tiptoes and reached up with her mouth, joining their lips in a delicate kiss.

That gentle peck quickly turned into a more curious prodding as she continued to rain little kisses and nibbles on his mouth. Soon, she got daring enough to try and sneak her tongue inside and Asterios decided to humor their new friend just a little. He let her kiss him more deeply while responding to a limited extent.

After a while, Atra obediently drew herself back with a fervent blush, grazing her petite hand over Ast’s chest. She hastily used the other one to fix her glasses which had tilted heavily during their exchange.

“As I thought, it's completely different...” Atra said with a coy smile. “Ummm… Can you please grant me one more, small request?”

“Which is?” Asterios raised a brow at her.

“Could you impregnate me?”

 

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