Chương 90: Chapter 88 - Welcome to Valhalla

Chelsea stood on the teleportation pedestal and looked around. The loneliness from a few moments ago hadn't vanished, but it had retreated enough for curiosity to take over. Valhalla was not what she expected. Though, if she was being honest, she wasn't entirely sure what she had expected. The pedestal sat at the base of a wide flight of stone stairs. The stairs climbed toward a building that looked like some absurd combination of a hunting lodge, fortress, and noble manor.

Massive logs formed the walls, each one so large Chelsea couldn't imagine the size of the tree it had come from. The entire structure dwarfed anything she had seen in Junstruce outside of the palace. She followed the building upward until her eyes reached a balcony carved directly from one of the giant logs. It was carved out… not attached or built into the wood. It was all one piece. Someone had somehow looked at a tree large enough to house a family of dragons and decided to carve a balcony into it.

Chelsea was beyond impressed. It wasn't gold and jewels but it screamed a different sort of opulence. Turning around, she found herself staring at an entire city. The same style repeated everywhere. Massive wooden buildings with steep roofs like you'd see in the northwest? North… east? Chelsea couldn't remember exactly where those sorts of roofs existed. She'd only left Texas once to go to Disney World when she was six and Florida definitely didn't have those roofs.

Everything in Valhalla felt sturdy and functional. Built by people who expected snow storms and wars to occasionally wander through the neighborhood. What truly captured her attention, however, was the sky. The sun still hung above the horizon. The world remained bathed in late afternoon light. Yet the stars were already visible. Thousands of them. They shone with impossible clarity. Many were larger than any star Chelsea remembered from Earth. Some looked several times brighter than the North Star ever had.

They filled the heavens from one end to the other, making the sky feel deeper than usual. Chelsea found herself staring. She wasn't sure how long she stood there. It had just been long enough for someone to speak.

"Welcome home." Chelsea pulled her eyes from the stars and looked toward Passion who wore a knowing smile.

"I couldn't stop staring either when I first arrived." Chelsea glanced around. The other Valkyr had all stopped to watch her reaction. Some looked amused, while a few looked impatient. The majority appeared to understand exactly what she was experiencing. To her surprise, the two women from the bathing room were among those smiling. Chelsea felt a twinge of guilt. The last time she had spoken to them, she had been unbelievably rude. She desperately needed to apologize.

"Hurry up," one of the others said.

"Let's get her settled in. I haven't eaten and I'm starving." Chelsea used The Eyes. Eloise, the Valkyr of Principle"I have a couple extra hearts," Chelsea offered automatically, reaching into her bag.

"You can have one as a snack." She wasn't actually reaching for a heart. Her fingers found her stuffed animal instead. The now familiar fabric pressed against her palm. It was becoming a habit. Not because she particularly loved that specific stuffed animal. Home had a gazillion of the ugly little things. No, it was because every time she touched it, she remembered that Junstruce still existed. The manor and her loved ones still existed. They were all still there. Waiting.

Three years suddenly felt a little less permanent when she remembered that.

"Eww that's disgusting. No," Eloise replied.

"Let's just go." Chelsea pulled her hand back out and sighed. Then she looked around at the other Valkyr. It felt weirdly unfair. She was officially the shortest one. Not by a little either. Most of them reminded her of Fiona. They were tall, broad shouldered and had muscle. Lots of muscle. The sort of women who looked capable of carrying a horse under one arm if the situation demanded it. Even Passion looked Fiona-esque. Actually… Chelsea squinted up at her. Passion might have been bigger.

"So," Chelsea said, looking around at her new companions.

"I'm the only short one here." Several of the Valkyr laughed. They were led into the massive building by Truth. Chelsea had already started noticing what appeared to be an unofficial hierarchy among the Valkyr. Nobody had announced Truth as the leader, but everyone naturally deferred to her. When she spoke, the others listened. When decisions needed made, eyes drifted toward her.

"We'll start by taking you to your room," Truth said. Chelsea followed the group through the enormous entryway. The building somehow felt even larger from the inside. Massive support beams stretched overhead. Long banners hung from the walls. The floors were polished smooth from centuries of use, and despite the size of the place, it felt lived in rather than grand. Then something clicked. Chelsea recognized it.

"This place..." The room from her dream. The first time Freya and the Valkyr had contacted her, she had been standing here. Well, floating here. And very naked. Chelsea was pleased to discover that at least one of those problems had been solved.

"Wha…" Passion started suddenly.

"Can we do something else first?" Several of the Valkyr immediately turned toward her.

"Why?" The shortest second shortest of the other women asked with a smirk.

"Something to hide?" Chelsea used The Eyes. Erica, the Valkyr of Deceit The woman beside her bumped Deceit's shoulder. She was the closest to Chelsea's height but still had about a foot on her. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Leave her alone." Chelsea checked that one as well. Lily, the Valkyr of Suffering These were the two who were in the bath that night when Chelsea threw her tantrum. The group continued up a broad staircase and into the upper floors. The hallway they entered contained seven doors spaced surprisingly far apart. The final door sat alone at the end of the corridor.

"This one is yours," the one she recognized as Justice said. Chelsea looked up at the door.

"Please drop off anything you don't need," Justice continued.

"A feast is being prepared in your honor, so don't dally."

"Wait, Havoc," Passion said quickly.

"Can I go in and clean up a bit first?"

"No time." One of them said. One of the Valkyr gave Chelsea a shove toward the door.

"Law!" Passion snapped.

"That was unnecessary." Chelsea caught herself and reached for the handle. Now she was curious. Insanely so. She was even a bit nervous. What was waiting for her? Passion had spent the last several days denying absolutely everything. Which felt very 'The lady doth protest too much.'

'I'm not obsessed with sex.'

'I'm not being flirty.'

'No I'm not watching as you change.' All of which were completely unprompted and she hadn't been accused of any of it. Chelsea had sort of stopped believing her claims as they happened too frequently. The room swung open. Chelsea stepped inside. Then stopped as her eyes went wide.

"Oh." It was not what she expected at all. Chelsea had fully prepared herself for chains and maybe whips. Possibly there were animal furs on her bed, like what Uncle Dewey and Fiona slept with. At the very least, something aggressively Valkyr. Instead she found herself standing inside what looked like the bedroom of a princess who had skipped the lesson on subtly. The walls were painted pink and white. The bedding on both beds was pink and white. The curtains again were pink and white.

Pillows of every imaginable size covered nearly every available surface. Some were round while others were square. Some were shaped like hearts. A plush rug covered most of the floor. The entire room looked comfortable, inviting, and overwhelmingly adorable. Chelsea slowly turned around. Passion had gone completely red.

"You..." Chelsea pointed at the room.

"You live here?" Passion covered her face with both hands.

"I can explain." She looked like she was legitimately panicking.

"H-Havoc," Passion stammered.

"If you hate it, we can definitely redecorate." She pushed into the room behind Chelsea.

"I know it's, umm..." She paused, searching for the right word. Chelsea spun around with a grin.

"It's incredible!" Chelsea threw her arms out wide. Passion stared in sheer disbelief.

"I love everything about it." Several groans immediately erupted from the doorway. A few others laughed. Someone muttered a quick "Fuck." Chelsea looked between them.

"What?"

"You owe me fifty silver," one Valkyr said to another.

"I said she'd love it." Passion stared at Chelsea.

"You really like it?"

"Are you kidding? This is amazing." Chelsea gestured broadly around the room.

"It's so pink. And there are enough pillows in here to build the most incredible fort ever!" Passion looked beyond relieved. Chelsea looked increasingly excited.

"It might actually be more perfect than my room in Junstruce. Should I change into a dress?" Chelsea asked suddenly.

"You said there was a feast. I have... one. Well… a few." That earned another round of laughter.

"No," Passion said weirdly fast. Chelsea noticed some sort of embarrassment on Passion's face.

"No dresses," Passion clarified.

"We don't wear dresses." Faceless Valkyr number 9 said. She really needed to figure out who was who.

"Oh." Chelsea nodded.

"Then I don't think I need to drop anything off." She rubbed at the pouch at her hip. Then she smiled up at Passion.

"I'm really excited I get to share a room with you. You have incredible taste." Justice groaned.

"Havocs." Several of the others immediately nodded.

"Havocs." They agreed. Chelsea wanted to ask what that meant, but nobody seemed interested in elaborating. As they left, Passion slowed slightly.

"Thank you," she whispered. The words were directed toward Suffering. Of all the Valkyr she had met so far, Suffering intrigued her the most. She was the closest thing the valkyr had to a normal height. More importantly, she seemed approachable. The title confused Chelsea as well. Truth, Justice, Freedom, Law, Duty. Those all sounded like straightforward positive concepts. Suffering sounded dark. The woman herself, though, didn't.

"Yeah, of course," Suffering replied.

"Wasn't going to let those bitches get one over on us." Chelsea blinked. Us?

"Awesome response, by the way, Havoc."

"Thank you?" Chelsea replied. Suffering laughed. Deceit slid into the conversation.

"It's been so bleh without you, Passion." Deceit looked toward Chelsea.

"We get why she was gone, but honestly? The mids are so boring." Chelsea looked between the two women. Then at Suffering.

"I feel like I'm missing several important pieces of information."

"Later," Passion said.

"We'll explain everything later." Suffering added while placing a gentle hand on Chelsea's shoulder. They reached the third floor again.

"Havoc." Truth's voice carried across the hall. Chelsea looked over to find the large Valkyr waving her closer. Passion and Suffering both gave encouraging nods. Chelsea hurried over. Once she was close enough, she performed a polite curtsy.

"Hi, Truth. What can I do for you?" Truth stared at her in annoyance. Then she sighed deeply.

"We are about to walk through those doors." She pointed toward a set of enormous double doors at the far end of the hall.

"You will be presented. Then we feast." Chelsea nodded.

"What you can do for me," Truth continued mockingly, "is not embarrass the Valkyr." Chelsea opened her mouth. Truth raised a finger.

"Let me finish." Chelsea nodded for her to.

"We are warrior-generals. Heroes. Legends."

"Historic figures," Law added automatically. Truth rolled her eyes.

"Historic figures, sure." Several Valkyr nodded along showing their agreement. Truth continued.

"Hold your head high. Face the crowd. Own your place in these halls." Chelsea nodded seriously.

"I'll do my best." One of the less friendly Valkyr folded her arms.

"Don't be yourself." Chelsea furrowed her brow.

"Excuse me?" she asked, turning to the… very big… intimidating women.

"Don't wave. Don't curtsy. Don't ask if there are orphanages nearby that need saving." Several snickers broke out around the one who spoke. Chelsea didn't even feel. like using the eyes. She just referred to her as that other Valkyr in her head. But seriously, did she just join a group of mean girls? Chelsea turned dramatically toward the assembled Valkyr being as theatrical as she could.

"I do apologize." She curtsied.

"I am not the Valkyr of Truth." She gestured to who she knew was Law.

"I am not the Valkyr of Law." Law grunted.

"Nor am the Valkyr of Duty." She didn't gesture to anyone as she forgot which one that was. Chelsea spread her wings dramatically.

"I am the Valkyr of Havoc." Several Valkyr immediately started laughing.

"Being nice, polite and loving orphans is sort of written into my contract." Then she finished with an overly elaborate curtsy. The hall erupted. Passion, Deceit, Suffering and three others were laughing. The rest stared either in anger or disbelief at the way she was speaking to Truth. Truth moved so quickly Chelsea almost missed it. The backhand caught her square across the face. Chelsea hit the floor hard enough to see stars. For a brief moment, the hall went completely silent. Chelsea sat there, blinking.

Then she started laughing.

"Oh." She pushed herself upright.

"So that's the game." A coppery taste filled her mouth. Chelsea touched her lip and found blood. She hadn't been expecting physical violence quite this early. Truth looked absolutely furious. Chelsea quickly used The Eyes. Brea, the Valkyr of Truth"Oh dear," Chelsea said.

"I certainly hope your hand is okay, Brea." The silence that followed that simple statement was immediate. Chelsea started a curtsy. She made it halfway through before another backhand sent her stumbling. This time several Valkyr physically flinched. Chelsea straightened slowly. She tasted even more blood.

"Please," she said pleasantly, "if you're going to slap me, put on a glove first." Truth stared down at her, rage still plastered to her face. Chelsea smiled sweetly.

"I would hate for you to hurt your beautiful hand on my gross demon face."

"What is wrong with you!?" Brea shouted. Chelsea considered the question, pressing her finger to her chin in thought.

"My mother is Adriane Wixx."

"There is nothing you can do to me that comes remotely close to the things she's done." Chelsea still remembered the tree. She passed out pretty quick… but she remembered the pure unbridled pain of having her skin ripped off. Frankly, after surviving Adriane's idea of training, getting slapped twice barely qualified as a greeting.

"So," Chelsea continued, "I'll say it again. If you're worried about hurting your hand, I highly recommend a glove." Brea's eye twitched. Several of the Valkyr were openly laughing now. Others looked horrified. Passion looked like she wanted to step in but she was terrified of escalating the situation. The larger woman stepped forward. She leaned down. Chelsea immediately recognized the move. Intimidation. The classic giant-person strategy. Get close. Look scary. Brea's face entered striking distance.

It had to be done. Jail-house rules and all that. Chelsea acted. She stood on her toes and kissed the tip of Truth's nose. The entire hall froze. Chelsea smiled.

"Brea, you and I are going to be best friends. I know it." The words came out entirely too cheerful which was by design. Using the woman's actual name wasn't helping either. Chelsea had learned very quickly that Valkyr took their titles seriously. Apparently Brea took hers especially seriously. The giant woman recoiled as though she'd been struck. To Chelsea's immense satisfaction, she was blushing. The victory was complete. Chelsea turned away before Brea could recover.

She pulled out one of her dresses and dabbed the blood from her lip. Behind her she heard several different reactions. One woman was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Someone else was repeatedly saying, "No. No. No. No." Passion looked moments away from a complete breakdown. Two enormous men stepped forward and pulled the giant double doors apart. The sight beyond immediately stole Chelsea's attention. The balcony. The one she had noticed earlier. Except now it wasn't empty.

Far below, thousands of people occupied long banquet tables stretching across the city. Food covered every available surface. Music drifted upward from somewhere unseen. Torches and lanterns illuminated the gathering as evening settled over Valhalla. Chelsea stared. Less than ten minutes ago none of this had been there. Where had the tables come from? There wasn't a crowd or a feast.

"How..." she muttered. Chelsea could feel Truth glaring at her so she looked back with a naive, friendly smile.

"Before we continue being enemies, can I ask how you assembled several thousand people in ten minutes?"