Everyone in the room looked confused. Which was normal at this point. Everyone...whith one exception.
"Brother, if you think who I think you mean, it is no more then a story." said Victor with almost a lamenting voice.
It is not common for Victor to speak during any meeting while his master is present, atleast without her order. One could assume he was trying to calm down everyone.
"The obelisks that we found were story too. Stories were once history."
"...I don't get what you're trying to say...they could be gone for all we know."
"It's worth a shot."
Finaly, Snow broke their little discussion: "You are starting to really get on my nerves, will SOMEBODY finally explain what's going on?"
Raven looked at Solara, who nodded and then sighed.
"When our mother died, I mourned her so much, that I even left the Capital. In doing so, I had much time to think about one thing: She was a pureblooded Valkyrie, a high ranking one none less."
Snow slowly rolled her eyes upward as she knew that this story was going to be long. But since fighting was the only other alternative, she just sat there, almost like a student listening to a very boring lecture.
"Valkyries don't age like us. They die either in battle, or because of some very serious disease. Which is not uncommon for high ranking beings like Valkyries. However, with all that taken into account, her death was very sudden. I later learned by listening to the citizens that our mother was not the only one who died. Apperantly every single Valkyrie met the same end. At once..."
He then looked at Siren, who looked very uncomfortable listening to this.
"After a while, I went to mother's personal library and looked at anything that could indicate what caused it. And I did, to my shock. It was a story long forgotten. Or rather it was made forgotten to not cause panic."
Victor at this point stepped forward towards his master: "Are you sure you want to listen to this boring story, mistress?"
Luna thought for a moment: "If he says he knows who is the one causing the Blight, we might as well get all the information we can get."
"What, are you going to tell another story?" said Snow in a very displeased voice.
"Not a story, a myth. But apperantly, that myth has to be true, if what is happening can be connected to it."
Snow once againt grunted in annoyance. Every moment wasted here meant another one of her subject dies.
"When Valkyries were still detached from the world, they had a special sect of priests that tended to the tombs and memories of those, who fell in battle. Among them, was a very special priest now only known as the Gravekeeper. It is said that he could communicate with the spirits of the dead, not only that, he could also use their memories and powers as his own, did he so wish. As he tended to his duties, more and more valkyries fell and more tombs had to be created. Not only valkyries, but every single one of the mortal being would die eventually. After so many years of servitude, he started to question if his duties were at all relevant. If every living being dies, what's the point of living at all? We all live so we can die...that was his conclussion.
And so, he devised a terrible plan. To eradicate all the mortal being from the world, so they could happily reunite peacefully in the world beyong the veil. Naturally, every single one of the valkyries objected to it, but as time moved on, more and more souls were being sent Gravekeepers way. Whether by choice or not, souls of those who died near him were kept in his lantern, a relic he was given as a sign of his eternal watchful duty. It had gotten to a point, where the Valkyries could no longer watch. They first exiled and stripped him of his rank, but that wasn't enough. Then they imprisoned him, but even then, guards started to wither around him, so did other prisoners. Last option was the ultimate punishment. They executed him...well that was how the story was supposed to go.
My mother made a note however, instead of saying he was just executed, she stated that with his last words he cursed them. Every single Valkyrie that had ever lived, would one day join his side from the afterlife. And if not, he would make them. To ensure that, he cursed them, so that after a certain amount of time, their life would sieze, such was his power at the moment of his demise."
Victor was listening to this, even though he knew already...but suddenly it struck him too. Siren was the LAST Valkyrie. Meaning she was the only Valkyrie he could not claim...why was that.
"When a being dies, their soul is sent to the afterlife. But his soul was not. Such a powerful being with the connection to the afterlife had made many precautions so that were it to die, it would not move on. The only way to do that...is to have a link...a bridge." Raven then looked at Siren.
"You mean to tell me that I'm the bridge?" said Siren with a voice of confussion.
"More then that. You are also his anchor. If you die, he dies to, but if he kills you and claims your soul, his soul will be "trapped" here. In other words, unable to move on, he will continue his work. Up to this point he had to have been gathering his power and also trying to find you."
Snow stood up and walked up to Raven. "WHy did you wait for me to come here so that you could share this information."
"I wasn't sure."
"And I made you sure?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Your realm, the Distant Isles...was the place of his death."
"Ah, so it would make sense if he were to be there longer correct?"
"Precisely."
"That still doesn't explain the chains though...if he was looking for Siren, what were the blobs trying to find around the chains?"
"Don't know...he could have been trying to find anything strong enough he could resurrect as his minion to help him kill everything...but now we know his weakness."
Snow looked at everyone. If she wanted to save her people, she needed to help these too. As much as she hates Solara and Victor, her love for her people had to take the upper edge.
"You are very lucky..."
She picked up her sword and attached it to her belt. With that motion, Vlad stood up too. As he did that though, Raven glued his eyes onto him.
"I will warn you, vampire. You are never, and will never be my ally. After all this is over, you are going to have to answer for your crime."
"You mean attacking that guy?" And he pointed at Victor.
"No. Being immortal. My duty is to eradicate you. But, given the situation, it is better to use you to save multiple lives, rather then just end you. Remember this."
Snow shuffled a bit, but Vlad looked at her. "Don't worry, it will be fine. I'm sure."
And so, the seven started devising a plan. The Gravekeeper was looking for Siren, then they were going to lure him in. The question was, where to though.