The occasional cold air whipped my skin, pulling my consciousness back. I was flying, not on my own but on the back of another. I was not here alone, a presence sat behind me holding my body in place.
"Hold on my rose, we are nearly there." Vili said, Vili was riding with me? Before my mind could focus on the situation, I lost consciousness once again.
My body felt cold as I realised I was on my back in the snow, I partly opened my eyes to see a rock formation above me. They had gotten me to the island, my gateway to Asgard. My eyes spotted Vili in his black furs along side Keon's dragon, he was grabbing my battle axes off his back. Without my axes, I could not enter Asgard. My eyes grew dark once again, but my body felt Vili place my battle axes on my chest and in my hands. The air stopped blowing and the wind was full of silence.
"By the Gods..." Vili said in astonishment. My closed eyes saw the flashes of colour, the bi-frost has found me. A set of strong arms lifted my cold body from the ground, the warmth of the body was like ale to the stomach, it warmed me instantly. With a clap of thunder, my mind went black again and the colours disappeared.
"Stop running from me Freya! Your cape doesn't blend into the snow!" Vili shouted from behind me. I knew I should have worn a different cape. I still continued to run though, no matter if I blended or not.
"You cannot best a berserker! Running in snow is part of our training!" Vili shouted, I heard his boots getting closer as we ran.
"And you cannot best a beast!" I yelled as I reached the opening where I could shift. But as I reached the opening, I halted in my tracks. I heard Vili's heaving body stop beside me, he has exhausted and struggling for breath.
"What is wrong?" He asked, but he soon met where my eyes had landed. A single red rose bloomed on a dying bush in the opening. I had never seen it there before, we both made our way towards the rose. Despite the freezing temperatures and falling snow, it still bloomed beautifully. I admired its resilience against the cold, despite its conditions it still fought its way through the blizzard. I leaned down and took a breath, the rose smelt stronger than any other I had ever smelt. I opened my eyes looking at the beauty before me.
"Beautiful." Vili said, I looked up to see his blue eyes focused on my red ones.
"The rose is the exact colour of your eyes, or perhaps it is your eyes that represent the rose. Beautiful, hardy, strong willed and a fighter." Vili said as his eyes never left mine.
"A beautiful rose. My beautiful rose." He said, but his eyes never once fell upon the rose.
My nose was filled with the scent of fresh grass, flowers and pastries. My mouth begun to water at the smell of fresh baked goods, the smell was almost unequal to anything I have smelt before. The sound of a waterfall and birds chirping near by pricked my attention. My eyes were closed but I felt at peace. I had no pain, no fear, no emotions or any ties that could destroy my moment of relaxation. Apart from the sudden pang of panic. My eyes flew open and I shot straight up out of bed. My last memory came back to me, I has in my throne room, which I was now no longer. I observed my surroundings. The room I was in was large, the walls were white and golden with old runes decorating them, the old tongue of my people. The tongue of the Norse Gods. I looked down to see I was still wearing my own clothes and cape, but the bed I lie in was made on fine golden sheets. It was like touching smooth water.
"By the Gods, I died!" I yelled in disbelief as I finally knew where I was. I was in the mighty kingdom of Asgard. I stood up and begun pacing, my hands tangled within my hair. My mind ran with thoughts of what happened. Poison? An attack? I could recall nothing, there was nothing even remotely strong enough in the universe that could kill myself or my companions.
"This doesn't make sense!" I shouted as I sat on the bed, I leaned over and placed my head in my hands.
"Trampling about your chambers will not help you make sense of this though either." Said a thundering voice, it had been a long time since I had been blessed to hear such a voice. I slowly looked up to see a man by the doorway, leaned against the post. He was at least 8ft, full of muscle and red hair, a beard to match. His striking blue eyes almost tore holes through my skull, his golden armour and white cape shone like the sun its self. I could tell by the power radiating from him who he was, and the large hammer that was attached to his side.
"Thor." I spoke softly, I truly must be dead.
"One of those statements is correct yes. I am Thor, we wet on your birthing day. The day Odin created you. But no, you are not dead but nearly." He said. Thor pulled a small glass tube filled with a purple liquid, it looked to be the same as the one the companions and I were injected with.
"This here, is what was going to kill you." He said observing the liquid then looking back at me.
"A God killing supplement." He said in a straight tone as he threw the glass to me, I observed the liquid thoroughly.
"I was told this was a liquid to help us adjust to the new world, to be caught up with all that has happened." I said.
"Yes that is what you were told, but your mind was weak and hazed from the chemical used to awaken you." Thor said. My mind struggled to comprehend what I was being told, we were forced awake by a chemical.
"Who did this?" I asked, my eyes never leaving Thor's. He raised his eye brows and said nothing. As I went to question him again, 5 loud thundering cracks ripped through the building. Thor seemed fine as the palace shook.
"The All Father, has summoned you." Thor said, leaving the hallway. I quickly rose and caught up to him. I was almost in a light jog trying to keep up with the mighty God, his tall figure moved effortlessly through the golden palace. I barely had the opportunity to observe my surroundings, I had never seen this side of Asgard before. As we approached a large set of golden doors with Yggdrasil carved into them, Thor came to a stop.
"He is weary and old, speak quickly. The All Father has many things he must attend to." Thor said, in sync the large doors opened. I was astonished to see what lay before me, a large path way high above the city that led to a golden building at the other end. At least 10 statues stood by the pathway over looking it, valkryies and Odin's great warriors.
"Hurry now, do not keep him waiting." Thor said as he gestured me to walk forward. As I did I turned to see the doors closing and Thor gone. I begun my walked to Odin's hall, along the long golden path. Beyond his hall was the great tree Yggdrasil, I remember looking apon the world tree when we were first created, the day of our birthing. We were born and created in the exact image we are now, were were not children raised by a mother. But warriors created to serve a single purpose. To protect the human race. As I neared the entrance to Odin's hall my mind begun to tick, have I done everything I can to serve the humans? Have I failed them by allowing the plague to slip through once again? By the time my mind had stopped ticking, I was standing at the edge of the hall.
"Approach." Said a voice from the front of the hall, it was the darkest room I had seen so far. Still golden but not full of light. A large golden throne sat at least two stories above the floor, as I approached it I stopped to admire its beauty.
"Too much gold." A voice said beside me, I turned to see a hooded figure with a staff standing beside me.
"All Father." I whispered as I dropped to a knee before him.
"Stand child, we do not have time for this." He said, he voice never changing tone. I rose to my feet and joined my hands behind my back.
"There is a traitor among you is there not?" He asked as he walked slowly towards his throne, never once looking at me.
"Yes, All Father. We are dedicating our lives to find this person." I said.
"You haven't tried long enough." He said, my heart dropped and I felt a heavy blanket of disappointment upon myself.
"They poisoned you, before you even awoke. Sedated your minds and the bonding process, you and the companions grow weak and distant so long as you all have the liquid pulsing through your bodies." He said circling me, I felt as if I were a helpless deer about to be attacked. My eyes never once left the floor.
"We did not know." I said quickly.
"How could you, you were slumbering. A mistake that will not be made next time." Odin said.
"This traitor means to set Ragnarok upon us all, to follow in the foot steps of Loki. You must stop them Freydis, stop the end of this world." Odin said as he stopped in front of me. I heard a familiar cry of a raven that came and landed upon the his shoulder.
"I gift you the ability to remove the vile liquid from your companions, destroy it and all the traces of it. It is the only thing strong enough to kill you all. I have sped your healing process, once you return to earth you will immediately feel connected to Anacalongon once again." He said, I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. His hooded shrouded his face.
"Soon, another companion will be among your ranks. A beast that will equal you, but for now focus on what truly matters and drives your heart." Odin said as he placed his hands on my heavy shoulders, lifting the weight that was once there.
"Rejoin the living, for this is a hall of the dead." He said, as he smashed his staff against the ground. My eyes went black and I felt the world fall from under me once again.
I startled away, sucking in a large breath of cold air. I sucked as much air in as I could, letting my body absorb the air once again. My eyes were met with a blue sky with an occasional cloud. I moved my cold body and realised I was in snow. I sat up to see I was on the Island, sitting by Odin's sanctuary. He returned me to the world of the living. I stood up, my body already adjusted and feeling healthy. As promised, I felt my power strengthening in every movement I took. I took a breath in and absorbed the scents. The ocean, the forest, the townsfolk, the sweat of working farmers, the blood of training soldiers. This is how it should be, my hearing pricked to every sound. I could hear the ocean crashing, snow falling on the mountains far away, a babes cry as its soothed by its mother in the village. I felt alive!
I swung my two battle axes onto my back, I needed to seal the bond with Anacalongon and save my Companions. I begun running towards the cliffs, I felt life and power surging through my veins once again. As I reached the cliff I leaped with all the might I had, falling towards the frozen sea. But my body shifted before I could feel the sea mist. The shift was painful, my black wings grew bigger than the last, ripping and breaking my arms. My black scaled body tore through my flesh and grew larger and stronger. Black bone spikes shot from my back bones, head and tail. My face sprouted and my horns grew from my forehead. Teeth the size of swords grew from my gums, pushing my human teeth out, a snake like tongue split my human one.
As my body glided above the water, my massive figure caught a glimpse of its self in the reflection, red eyes as hot as fire burned back into my skull. Odin had given what he promised and more, the connection I now share with Anacalongon was stronger, resulting in us growing mightier and stronger. I felt the rage of joy ripe through my body as I let a thundering roar rip across my realm, the oceans water rippled at the harsh sound. I thrusted my wings stronger to carried me higher into the sky and towards my castle that I could see clearly through the day.
"Reunited... At long last..." A distant voice in my mind whispered
"Anacalongon." I whispered back in my mind.