Chapter 8

It was not difficult to see the destruction and devastation wrought. Even Freya seemed impressed. It would not be until the time of Julius Caesar that more lay dead in a single battle.

The smell and sounds of the dying, became a scar on the landscape. The Angels of death gathered the emerging souls. Hastened those near death and provided the count to Dahlia.

A spell had been used to make time nearly stop around Regan as he was carried off to Freya’s realm of Fólkvangr, should he die, he would be hers not Odin’s regardless. Diana and Sigrid, now even Ingrid vowed his death from Loki’s treachery would not happen.

It would seem killing the enemy was not a difficult thing. Up until Loki’s attack, souls were gathered from those worthy and after a battle between opposing forces. It was both fascinating for the girls to see but quite boring to watch also, it was anticlimactic. There was little doubt who the victors would be. The screams, blood and guts spewing all over was a gruesome sight to most.

The girls found fighting a battle much easier than actually finding the next. Regan had stated he needed to defeat ‘the Rebels’. However the only clue as to where they were at was that both the road would lead there and their lands would bring Regan even closer.

The Black Riders were sent forth on winged mounts North to find such a place. Instead they found places, plural. Due north were several small towns, most else were villages and farms. To the Northeast the land was even sparser. There stood nothing that would brook much resistance let alone pose a threat to any invading army. Yet they looked.

Far to the North and Northwest grew a range of hills and mountains. It was over these the first of many towns and villages lay, surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of farms. The land looked rich and crops grew in abundance there. Several of the Black Riders reported seeing similar sights.

Were they the Rebels? It did not seem to matter. Freya and Dahlia both had returned to their domains. First to plot against Loki and gain revenge for his attack, then to gain support from the other gods and goddesses to determine what and how this Regan might be saved. The girls now knew something no one else did.

Those that were found could not have been the rebels Regan was seeking. The distance and locations were no where near enough to the road. Let alone the ‘Dark Lands’. Someone had wanted him away and gone. More riders were now sent South and West to places Regan would have come from. The simplest directive would be to search as far as the sun might set.

The places over the mountains held little interest for conquest. Yes they were rich and fertile lands but no great concentration of people or troops bade little incentive to gather souls there. It would be to Regan’s lands or those of his family and friends where they would now search instead.

There had to be great concentrations there, Lands that for a 1,000 years had grown rich and fat would now provide the Valkyrie the means to gain the souls they required to trade. Ragnarok was at hand and both those siding with Loki and those who supported Odin would most desire the souls the Valkyrie could provide. Their price would be simple. Whomever gave them Regan back would have the means to be victorious. It was that simple.

What even they could not surmise was that other wheels had long since been set in motion. By that count Regan, his family, friends and all he surveyed were to be destroyed. On the other hand, it was never considered those plans of men would run afoul to those of the gods.