A home for the Valkyries.
Lubbock had said those words. And I knew then that Valhalla wasn't a barracks to prepare soldiers. It was a place to protect. But what I didn't know was what exactly it was that we were trying to protect, that Lady was doing her utmost to save.
A treasure like that. I wondered what something like that would amount to.
*************
We were rudely awoken the next morning, by some noise downstairs. Without getting dressed, I poked my head out of the room I was sharing with Lubbock. Sight and Claire were in the next room over. Lubbock had already gone downstairs and there was quite a commotion now.
Sight appeared out of his room, dressed and ready to move.
"Mornin' boy!", he acted as if he couldn't hear anything.
"Sight, what's that noise downstairs?", I asked.
"What noise? Oh, probably some drunken men! Things you see in pubs like this, boy, you'll get used to it."
Except this was an inn, not a pub, and certainly not a place for drunkards this early in the morning.
Instead of wasting time, I quickly got dressed and sped downstairs, only to find Lubbock tied to a beam, and a bunch of thugs surrounding him. They were asking him where the rest of his friends were. Lubbock refused to sell us out. But to a man with common sense such as myself, it was a given that his friends would be staying at the same inn he was. At the very least, it was worth checking before interrogating the fellow. Unfortunately, the thought did not occur to those oafs.
I certainly would have liked to see Lubbock getting tortured if I had any hope from those thugs. Except I already knew how ridiculous their attempts would be if it ever came down to it. So instead, I announced myself as I joined the party.
"That's another one, boss!", one of the foolish bandits screamed, seeing me.
The boss, who wasn't yet done scrutinizing Lubbock turned to face me. It was, as I expected, a woman. Or to be precise, a girl. Lubbock looked dejected for some reason. This girl who might have been in her mid 20s, was small, yet strong looking. She had dark muddy hair, and face paint of the same color, making her look tough. Despite her attempts, I'd have said she was more on the cute side. Perhaps all the more so because she was trying to look tough.
A Russel Terrier pup. I thought to myself as I looked at her.
"What are you waiting for then? Apprehend him!!!", she spoke nothing like a thug boss. But that was what she was, apparently.
Before the men could launch themselves on me, I grabbed hold of her and wrist locked her. It was easy to do so, considering how unguarded she was.
"Unhand me, fiend!!!", she writhed.
"BOSS!!!", cried the horde of oafs before leaping onto me.
Fortunately, I got out of the way before they could plant themselves on to me. Instead, they ended up burying their own tiny boss. I believe I heard her whimper, which I thought to be her last. But before I could bring my hands together to offer her a prayer, Sight climbed down the stairs and joined in.
Seeing him, the tiny boss was filled with a new life and hope.
"My husband!", she called out for him, reaching her hand for his.
The oafs having realized their misstep, quickly began to move off of her.
"It's boss's husband!", some of them cried.
So it wasn't a mistake, I thought, Sight really was that boss lady's husband. He didn't seem to know it, so he stood there dumbfounded like usual.
"What unseemly calamities befall your beloved today! O my beloved husband, do you see what distasteful luck has been wrought us on this special day of our anniversary?", the boss got herself up, fixing her barbarian clothing.
"Anniversary?", Sight mumbled, because that was the only word he understood.
But still, I was surprised too. They had been married longer than I'd expected.
"Yes, our first three-day anniversary", said the tiny boss as she flung herself into Sight's arms. As tall as Sight was, this was an absolute oddity to look out.
She acted all tough otherwise, but she was soft as butter with her husband apparently. I'm sure I heard one or two "Kyaaa!!!" among the oafs as she cozied up to her husband. The owner of the inn who was near passed out from all the commotion earlier now looked like he'd been struck with Lady Medusa's curse.
To my relief, Sight and tiny boss had only been married three days, the circumstances of which were never disclosed to me as Sight had no idea he was married. Seeing how much the boss fawned over him, I concluded the marriage must have been very one sided, without Sight's consent or knowledge.
"Ahh...pardon my intrusion but-", Claire had made his appearance.
"That's the last one!", cried one of the thugs.
"WHAT?!?! SO THEY WERE ALL HERE?!", cried another.
"Please hear me out", Claire summoned the courage to say, looking at the boss, "We are just travelers. We have no money that you can take anymore. Please let us be. We'll be out of your hair right away."
"What do you think you are trying to achieve here, bourgeois? I shan't let you trod away unpenalized after you desecrated my territory. Who are you to trample on my land and run amuck as if I am not here?!"
"Pardon me if I have stepped on your land wrongfully. I am merely searching for the Gospelion of Barathrum. I didn't know it was your territory."
"What?", tiny boss's eyes widened, "The Gospelion, you say?"
"Yes, I believe that was precisely where it should have been."
The tiny boss stood awestruck, with her mouth gaping.
"Boss!!!", cried out the whole crowd.
"Yes! It's him. The one foreseen, the prophet, the chosen one, the messenger, the savior, it's him. His coming was foretold. He's the one!", she announced to the crowd before turning to Claire, "We have awaited your return, my master. For generations, we have awaited. For the one that would bring us the true name of The Gospelion. It is you, my master! We welcome you!"
Saying so, the whole gang bowed down to the great Mer Claire who had no clue what the big deal was, for he had read the real name of The Gospelion in a book.
In any case, we were accepted by the thugs as their most revered guests and they decided to escort us to The Gospelion right after breakfast. They said they would wait for us at the edge of town. Naturally, Sight the Husband had to leave with them. They intended to treat him to another snake, I suppose.
Whatever this great treasure, The Gospelion of Barathrum was, Claire couldn't wait to go see it. If this Gospelion could really solve the mystery of the sky as Claire had said, maybe the prophecies of the barbarians were true. Maybe Claire really was the savior.