I begun having reoccurring dreams, that my companions had abandon me, a darkness consumed their eyes as they burnt our home to the ground. The searing pain and Vili's cries as a purple laced sword plunged it's way into my chest, I turned to see Rokii's twisted face as I soon woke up from my night terror. Tomorrow at 12pm we meet with the human leaders, a meeting that would decide all of our fates and what paths we would take. The young man who became a host had almost completed his transformation, the plague has consumed him fully. I stood over looking the Fjords, we have been staying at a small village whilst we prepared for the days to come. As I brooded on my thoughts I felt a presence approach.
"Are you prepared for tomorrow?" Keon asked as he stood by my side and crossed his large arms.
"Can anyone truly be ready for such a thing?"
"Hmm, fair point." He said, we stood in silence for sometime. My mind lingered and my heart pulled, I had been anxious and restless lately. A feeling I could not describe nor link to, I had no reason to bear these emotions.
"You've been feeling it too?" Keon asked as we both looked over the beauty before us.
"The aching and longing? The feeling that something is going to happen or already has? The feeling of your heart being ripped and pulled from your body? Then yes, I wish I knew why." I said quietly.
"I wish I did too, I have been feeling anxious since we found that man. As if we have triggered a series of events that we can no longer stop." Keon said.
"I keep having dreams, Keon. Dreams of you all turning against me and the Gods, your eyes filled of darkness and hatred. As I reach the dome and save Vili, he screams as a purple laced sword is driven through my chest, I turn and see Rokii as he laughs." I said, my mind and voice cracking at the thought. Keon takes some time to process my words before turning to me.
"We would never abandon you, Freya. Whatever plagues your mind is false. We are connected in life and death, we would do no such thing." Keon said as he laid a hand on my shoulder. He soon turned and resumed his previous posture.
"We have heard no word from Ivarr, Koba or Rokii. After this meeting we are to return home." Keon said, my heart instantly pulled more at the thought.
"What ever is happening, I fear it's something to do with the realm." I said quietly, Keon stood in silence.
"Go, rest Keon. We have a big day tomorrow, I don't know how things will happen but I pray to the Gods that it goes well. I hope the townsfolk and our companions make a sacrifice on our behalf, we will need it." I said as I looked up at Keon, his face wiery and tired as I can see he was too distressed. He nodded as we embraced and he left to go back to his wooden cabin. I stood a moment longer before I too retired to the cabins. I walked past the small fire pit that was alight, my warriors sat by the fire as they shared stories and tales. Their story telling made me feel somewhat at peace. As the cold air of the late afternoon touched my skin, I walked quicker to my cabin. Vili and I had once again shared a cabin, but by our own choosing. Our last night in New York nearly ended with us uniting and bedding each other, I was thankful that did not happen. For what I was feeling, I did not want him to feel the same burden. I walked inside to a warm cabin lit with candles and smelling of food, the cabins were secluded in the Fjords, power like the city was no an option. Something that I did not miss, though I would enjoy some Game of Thrones to take my mind off the stress. I sat down at the small wooden table that was set with food, the villagers here believed in the old ways, the oldest one believed she sensed a power within us. She was not wrong but we would not admit this to her, she has been most hospitable since, making sure we get warm fires and hot food.
"It's still fresh." Vili said as he walked in from the bath house. His black hair was damp and touching below his eyebrows, he wore black and red leather armour with his black cape around it.The short sleeves of his black and red armour gave me a good view of his large arms.
"It smells it, have you eaten?"
"Not yet, I was waiting for you." He said as he sat across from me. We ate in near silence as my mind wandered, Vili sensed this and knew not to pry.
"Why don't you consult the Gods?" Vili asked, his blue eyes meeting mine. I paused for a moment.
"We aren't in our realm, it would be nearly impossible." I said as I stopped eating.
"We are in the heart of Norway, birth place of Vikings." I thought of Vili's suggestion for a moment before nodding.
"I will go later tonight, I will take to the skies." I said as I continued eating.
As the sun sank into the earth and a bright full moon took its place, I headed outside of the cabin and into the frosted air. I looked back at Vili who was following me closely, I advised him not to come but he had refused. After his last encounter with my beast, I let it slid this time. We begun tracking towards a small but well covered opening North of the cabins.
"Where do you think you pair are heading off to this late? Isn't it a bit cold for an outside fling?" Keon asked as he stood leaned against his cabin doorway.
"I need council from the Gods, I am going to seek them out." I said as we strolled past them, Keon walked down his small staircase and followed us. We'll soon have a damn army following us. After a short while we reached the clearing, I ordered the men to stay by the entrance as I begun my shift. As my body changed and shifted I felt pangs of pain as I transformed, my body grew larger once again as new deep red scales emerged randomly from my body. My black wings had hints of red as well as my spikes, my eyesight adjusted to the night sky, turning the landscapes into a bright blue with heat signatures turning red. I took large breaths as my body adjusted to the newly heightened sensations and power again, the shift was almost draining. I turned my large head towards the two men by the foot of the forest, the both had taken some steps back, I assumed because of my sudden increase in size. I brought my head down so that my snout was in reaching distance, my beast was used to the smell of Vili now, allowing him to touch my snout.
"I am going to come with you Freydis, we both need council from the Gods." Keon said as he walked around my body. I dropped my right shoulder and wing as he climbed my body and into the centre of my wings, after he was seated and holding on I stretched my body back up.
"I will wait for your return." Vili called as he looked into my eyes, his blue eyes longing to take flight with me. I turned and walked to the centre of the opening, I pushed my body onto my hind legs as I stretched my wings out. With one powerful push of my strong legs and a thrust of my wings Keon and I took flight, I thrusted my strong wings into the cold air as we were sky bound.
"Holy shit." Keon called numerously as he struggled to hold on during our incline. After I leveled out and soared through the air with breeze, Keon relaxed.
"It's been sometime since we have flown together, and by the Gods your dragon has grown. A gift from Odin, one that will be put to good use." Keon said as he stroked my scales where he sat. We flew over the Fjords and towards the highest peak in the area, the best place to consult the Gods. As we soon reached the mountain top, I landed as gently as I could of the sharp mountain top. Keon almost threw himself off my back once we had landed, he looked at me as if I had tried to kill him. I begun my shift back as Keon walked towards the edge of the mountain top. Once I was done, I joined him, the view was beautiful. The sky was clear and the bright moon outlined the Fjords and forest below us, in the distance the village could still be seen.
"Shall we begin?" Keon asked as he sat down on his calf muscles, hands on his thighs and closed his eyes. I mimicked his posture as our summoning begun.
"Odin, Lord of Knowledge. Thor, Son of Odin, Lord of Lighting and Thunder. We call upon you and seek your guidance in these trying times. Hear our prays and let us be gifted by your presence." I said into the night sky, we were only able to summon those in which we were descendant from. With Keon and I together, our summon would be heard clear. As we sat for awhile longer, a familiar sound struck the ground behind us. The sound of the Bi-Frost striking the ground and the lightening of Thor's hammer. Once silence had filled the air, Keon and I rose to our feet and turned to the Gods before us. Thor stood in all of his glory and golden armour, hammer in hand. Odin stood in his hooded robes with his golden spear in his spare hand. He pushed his hood back and revealed his face, he was old with a long white beard and hair. A black patch covered his missing eye and tattoos surrounded the scars.
"Companions, we have answered your summons and will give you our council." Thor said with a thundering voice.
"Tomorrow at 12pm we will make contact with the human leaders, they will see us for what we truly are but also what threatens the world. We are both troubled with an unexplained burden, after we collected a Dark Knight for the humans to witnessed we have both felt sorrow and distress. I have been haunted by a night walk, one that shows my death and the destruction of our realm." I said as I stepped forward. Thor and Odin stood before us and listened, not at all disturbed by my words.
"The events that lay before you have been set in motion since the day of your creation, a fate weaved by the Norms before you all drew your first breath. The burden you feel is that of the realm, the events to come will weaken the link between the companions." Odin said with a straight tone. His words made my heart clench and ache, my worry was for a good reason.
"How so?" Keon asked.
"There has always been a weak link in the connection of you all, one that will soon rust and break. It has been planned for centuries, a plan we cannot stop. One we have sworn not to." Thor said.
"Why can't this be stopped?" I asked as I stepped forward again.
"For the next companion to rise, one must fall." Odin said as he also stepped forward, his lone eye staring into my soul he created.
"Who is the next companion?" I asked.
"One who will forge an everlasting connection, the strongest you have ever seen or felt. The one who you've seen Freydis. The Golden Dragon. He will be your equal, as strong and as might as you, your dragons mate." Odin said, I took a step back as my mind went dizzy as I remembered the dream I had as I was flying with the Golden Dragon.
"There are many events that you will witness before this, much more pain and anguish." Odin said as he circled us, Thor copying his fathers steps.
"A chain effect of deaths will soon occur, knocking the balance of the realm out of proportion. Space for it to be created as new." Odin said as he stopped by Thor's side behind us and closest to the cliff edge.
"What is the name of the next companion." I said, Odin pulled his hood back over his face.
"A name you know well, my creation, a name that will be forged next to yours in the battles to come. A name I will not speak to you yet." Odin said, within seconds the Bi-Frost had come and taken them away. Keon and I were left breathless and confused, he looked at me in shock.
"You... You spoke the truth of the new companion..." He said as he looked at me in disbelief. I placed my hands on my knees as I steadied myself.
"All will be revealed in time, but first we must speak with the humans. What we are doing, what we plan to do, we cannot change. Not now." I said as I stood up and looked at Keon.
"Who would be the weak link between us all?" Keon asked as he looked at me in confusion.
"I... I do not have the answer to that." I said as I looked at my fellow companion, lost and distressed about the battles to come.