Valhellions, p.30
Valhellions, page 30
“I . . . I don’t . . .” Esther kicked me in the shin, and I stumbled forward. “I would be honored.”
The three valkyries nodded as I accepted the shield from Revna. Its surface was cold to the touch. It was as light as a breath, but felt harder than steel.
“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll wield it with pride.”
“I trust you will,” Revna said. “Now, if you’ll pardon us, we have valkyries to find.”
There was a rumble of diesel and the screeching of gears. Lillie’s old pickup rolled around the corner, no driver, but a curious look on its headlights. It lumbered to a stop in front of Lillie and Inge. With a final look back at Valhalla, they got in the cab. Revna closed the beer hall’s massive doors, then hung a sign across it and hopped into the bed of the pickup. The throne was back there, and she lounged on it like a queen.
“Good luck,” Esther called.
“We don’t need luck, Captain,” Revna said. “Keep the world safe while we’re gone.”
“We’ll do our best.”
“Well. That will have to do.”
The pickup roared to life and pulled away. We watched as it rumbled down the hill, until it disappeared into the clouds. The sound of its engine lasted for a long time after that, until finally that, too, faded. I looked toward the sign on the door.
Closed For Renovations.
Please Try Again Later.
Or Go To Hell.
We Don’t Care.
“Such friendly people,” I said.
“They’ll be back,” Esther answered. “Come on. We need to get you home. That shield will meld into your old one, eventually, but you’ll need practice. And I need a drink.”
“Not mead,” Chesa said.
“Not mead,” I confirmed. “Maybe orange soda.”
“No sugar for you. Not if you want to get back to your domain anytime soon.”
We loaded back into the HMS Hangnail. I looked back to Valhalla. The silent hall was creepy, especially knowing that it was full of dead Vikings. I wondered where Solveig had gotten to, and whether I would see her again. I was still thinking about this when the clouds closed around us, and we fell back down into the real world.
Tim Akers, Valhellions
