The group entered the center of the spherical chamber. The white stone door to the east was covered with a thick layer of ice upon closer examination.
"This is the door to the outer sanctuary. I can take you inside, but I won't go into the sanctuary myself. Still think it's a good idea?"
"Yes, I'm ready."
Siegfried separated from the girls and stood aside, leaning against the wall.
"Aren't you going?"
"I can't. They don't like male guests. Oh, those Valkyries. Good luck to you, daughter of the eastern warriors. I hope you'll make it back."
"It's time," Hilda drew her blade and pressed it against the top of the door.
With a sharp movement of her blade, she cracked the covering that had bound the door, and the stone walls slightly parted. An icy wind that pierced to the bones blew from behind the door.
"Oh, it's so drafty here," Asura shuddered involuntarily, "is there another exit?"
"No, there are no other exits from here," Freya grinned and opened the door wide, "it's a peculiar feature of this place. Let's go."
The queen disappeared into the dark opening, and Siegfried waved his hand in farewell to the two warriors.
Behind the door was a long passage carved in the cave, clearly of natural origin. The walls were covered with a thin layer of ice emitting a bluish-white glow, giving the place a mysterious atmosphere.
"Brr," Asura shivered and tried to wrap herself tightly in her fur mantle, "it's even colder here than outside."
"You can't try to warm up with your clothes. It won't help," Freya smirked, though it was evident that she was shivering under her insulated armor, "this cold is of unnatural origin, only the strength of spirit can shield you from it."
"Wow, what is this place? A mausoleum for fallen kings?"
"Yes and no," a mysterious smile flickered on the queen's bluish lips, "here, their souls are more likely resting. As well as the souls of hundreds of warriors who tried to gain their power and wisdom. Alas, only a handful of chosen ones succeeded."
"And you too?" Asura listened to the Valkyrie with genuine interest.
"Noo, my grandmother was the last in the line who managed to return from there. When I came here in my youth... I couldn't bring myself to enter. It felt as if my grandmother called out to me before the inner sanctuary, and I understood - it was an ill omen," Freya lowered her gaze sadly, "though maybe I should have gone all the way."
"But you could have died."
"Yes, but I was prepared for that. Only the bravest and strongest Norod warriors are allowed into the inner sanctuary, but I haven't permitted anyone to enter for eleven years now."
"Weren't there any worthy candidates?"
"No, that's not true, of course there were. But I didn't want to experience what happened back then again," Freya paused and turned to the warrior, "I think I can trust you, but only if you promise not to tell anyone, especially Hilda!"
"Why her? Why specifically her?"
"It's a family secret that only one person besides me and Zig knows. If Hilda finds out about it, she'll never forgive me."
"She's your daughter, she won't stay angry with you forever."
The girls approached another set of stone gates inside the sanctuary. They were identical to the first ones, only traces of non-melting snow spread out from them. About a meter from the door, there were two marks resembling children curled up in a ball.
"This was here. The last time I saw my daughter," Queen Freya sat down next to the mark on the ground, restraining her trembling, and continued her story.
It was eleven years ago when Hilda was just five years old, same as her stepsister.
"Yes, Hilda has a stepsister, who came into being with my permission. I allowed Siegfried to have a romance with my best friend, whom I trusted. Frigg had been like a sister to me since the time I joined the Valkyries. She was not inferior to me in strength, though she didn't possess ice magic, which allowed me to defeat her. If I had fought without using magic, she might have become the supreme Valkyrie and the queen now. But my pride wouldn't allow me to yield to her, and as a result, I became the best. But she wasn't angry with me; she simply congratulated me with the same friendly smile as always. That's when I realized I was wrong. Frigg should have been the supreme Valkyrie, not me, but it was too late to change anything.
Eventually, I became the queen and soon got pregnant. I knew that in the Degarun clan, few men were known for their perfect loyalty, but I didn't want Siegfried to sink as low as his great-grandfather. So, I asked Frigg to take care of it. It was a foolish request for a wife - to ask her friend to console her husband in bed. By that time, she hadn't found a person with whom she would tie her fate, although hundreds of warriors came to her. Unfortunately, I understood too late why she refused them. She always stood confidently and proudly, but only when she was in front of us with Siegfried, she blushed and stumbled.
Yes, Frigg had already loved Siegfried long before I met him. I, on the other hand, always thought about the well-being of the country, so I believed that it was right for the strongest warrior to become the queen. I never loved him truly; I respected him as a man, a warrior, and a ruler, but it wasn't love. Sometimes he would glance at other girls, but I knew he never cheated on me. So, my proposal seemed very strange to him, but I insisted. I wanted Frigg to have a chance to be with her beloved. Perhaps I was just trying to atone for my guilt towards her.
A year later, Siegfried had two daughters. Frigg's daughter, Helen, was only a couple of months younger than Hilda, and they looked like twins. Few courtiers saw them, and no one knew who Helen's father was. Any rumors were immediately quashed.
The girls grew up together like true sisters, with two mothers. A strict but fair one who taught them martial arts and even prepared their first armor and weapons, and a kind and wise one who spoiled them and with interest told them stories of our country.
But the girls were mischievous. Helen often incited Hilda to reckless actions. Sometimes they escaped from the castle; at four years old, they even stole a horse from the stables and rode it around the fortress wall. Of course, I punished them, but as long as they were together, I had nothing to fear. I was glad that Hilda managed to avoid the fate of a lonely princess, but still, I had to keep a closer eye on them.
When they turned five, as is customary for warriors, they were supposed to receive their first armor. But Hilda insisted on getting it together with Helen. With reluctance, I agreed to this small concession, and on Helen's birthday, they both received their first warrior insignia: armor and a sword for the daughter of the supreme Valkyrie and an axe for the daughter of the great Jarl. And that was the last time they were seen together.
The next day, they disappeared. We searched the entire city, but they were nowhere to be found, and no one had left the city. On the second day, the search yielded no results, and there was only one place we hadn't checked.
Frigg and I descended into the underground alone. The only place where the girls could be was the legendary sanctuary where the greatest warriors of antiquity gained unprecedented power. That's why they wanted to receive their armor together, to set off on adventures as a pair.
I always blamed myself for what happened because of my negligence; not only my daughter but also my best friend's daughter could have perished. Both of us had been to this place before but never dared to enter the inner sanctuary. Not everyone was allowed inside, and not everyone returned, but we saw her by the doors.
There, in the snow, lay one of the girls, and next to her were the sword and the axe I had given as presents two days ago. The girl was very pale, barely breathing. I didn't know how she had endured such severe hypothermia for so long, but she was still alive. She had changed; her hair and eyes had turned white, and I couldn't tell exactly who she was anymore. But I was worried about only one thing - where had the second girl disappeared?
The answer was clear; she had entered the inner sanctuary. We should have returned, but I couldn't leave the second girl behind. I saw Frigg torn between saving this girl or finding the other. But it didn't matter to me; I forcefully pushed open the door, not knowing what awaited me inside.
As the gates opened, an icy wind pierced our bodies. Not only me but also Frigg was engulfed in such intense frost that our blood began to freeze in our veins. But suddenly, everything stopped, and from the darkness on the other side of the doors, footsteps could be heard.
A little girl with white hair and eyes came out to us. It was the second daughter, but now they were indistinguishable from each other. Not only their eyes and hair had changed; their physique had adapted to the image of ancient warriors, making them nearly identical. The girl quietly passed by me, and the doors to the sanctuary closed. She grasped her friend's hand, and a white aura enveloped both of them. Color began to return to the semi-lifeless girl's face. She was saved, but they both lost consciousness for a week.
We never left their side during this time. We didn't know what to do; now their blood relationship was evident. We had to decide what to do. Frigg understood that the presence of two heiresses from different mothers could later lead to a civil war. We waited for them to wake up and explain what had happened. But it didn't happen. They changed after visiting the sanctuary. They remembered nothing of their past. We had to decide ourselves whom to leave at the court.
I didn't tell my friend, but I figured out who Hilda was. The weapons were not the only difference. On the inner side of their armor, I drew a small image of a sword and an axe so that they would never forget that they should always protect each other.
The strongest should rule, and I convinced Frigg that the girl who had gone through the inner sanctuary should become Hilda and eventually ascend to the throne. As for the other girl, she would be taken to a remote region of Nordrune so that no one from the court could use her for their own purposes. Since then, I never saw them again.
The queen finished her story and gently wiped away the barely noticeable tears at the corners of her eyes, where two princesses had once lain.
"Once, I considered it normal for warriors in their prime to venture into this dungeon to become even stronger. It was perfectly acceptable that most of them never reached the sanctuary. But when I almost lost my daughter, I closed this passage for everyone. I no longer wanted to witness young girls heading to their deaths. After losing Frigg, I took on two titles: queen and high valkyrie. Since then, I haven't found a girl who could replace her."
"But you will let me go?" Asura asked.
"Yes, you are entirely different. Inside, you will understand why this place is sacred to our people. I'm sure you'll find a way out," the queen said, pushing the door and letting the icy wind pierce the girls' bodies. "I'll wait for you here, but hurry back before I turn into an ice statue."
"Alright," Asura took a step into the darkness, but then turned back to Freya. "And which one of them is your daughter?"
"In the room where I almost lost both of them, Hilda's first armor is still kept to this day. Beautiful armor made of light steel, an exact replica of a valkyrie's armor, with a small engraving of a sword on the inner side."
The doors closed, leaving the girl in pitch darkness.
"Hmm, what should I do now?" Asura tried to survey her surroundings, but no matter how hard she squinted, the darkness allowed her to see nothing but the ground beneath her feet. "Alright, it's not that difficult; it's just a corridor, so there's only one way."
The girl proceeded slowly. The cold penetrated her skin like sharp needles, draining the strength from her weakening body, and with each step, it intensified. When the door closed, the wind ceased, but that was the only comforting thing.
"Now I understand why so many people died here. Even the Nords have their limits."
"And tell me, aren't you the same?" a voice sneered.
"Of course not! If I need strength, I'll earn it through hard training!"
"But don't you carry borrowed magic with you?" the voice continued.
"Yes, perhaps I use the magic of this blade, but as a wise man once said: the katana itself holds no power; it is merely a tool that directs the strength of its wielder."
"A sweet lie to flatter your pride. Like everyone else who came here, you're too confident. Without your blade, you wouldn't last a second here."
"That's not true!" Asura stopped. "I believe in my abilities, but I know I'm not all-powerful! I always rely on my comrades, and there's nothing wrong with that. But I came here to help them. I don't need your strength, whoever you may be. Help me with advice on how to help my friends."
"Ha, how reckless you are at times. Well, go on if you have the strength, or go back if your life is precious to you."
The voice in the darkness subsided, and in the distance, a faint light flickered. A barely visible bluish-white glow trembled deep in the cave.
"Don't think you can scare me!" Asura drew her katana from its sheath and rushed through the darkness. The cold grew stronger, and the light approached closer. She was just a few meters away from it, but a piercing icy wind struck her face again. "Don't think you can break me so easily."
Asura sheathed her blade and gathered all her remaining strength for a single strike. The blue blade pierced through the darkness, and a stream of ice rushed towards the oncoming wind. The two streams collided, and for a split second, the icy wind ceased. Seizing the opportunity, the girl dashed forward.
Asura found herself in a spacious chamber. The darkness concealed the walls and ceiling, and only one light source in the room illuminated a small area around it.
An octagonal crystal of perfect form hung in the air, slightly over a meter high. In its center, a dim bluish-white flame burned.
"What is this?" Asura squinted her eyes skeptically.
"Hmm, you made it after all. Well done, congratulations," a beautiful woman emerged from the darkness, though her appearance couldn't be described as human.