The tangy scent of salt whisked throughout the air, the boat yard filled with many traders, mercenaries, and sailors following the threads of fate binding them to their individual paths. Their eyes drawn on a group of five beautiful and fearsome female warriors marching along the wooden slipways, their stomps in unison... well except for little o'l Liva who was on her tippy toes.
"Alva this will be your boat, we've supplied it with everything you will need for your trip, should take you about 4 days to get to the isle of storms" Sigrid said, Alva could notice a hint of concern lingering in the lower layers of her tone as she replied.
"Is everything okay Sigrid? you seem.. worried"
"Mhmm of course i would be... you're practically family at this point you know?"
Alva's hard yet soft heart fluttered with a sense of longing hearing such words emit from Sigrid's mouth, Sigrid's usually cold and stoic demeanor clearly had a vulnerable spot for her. Alva latched her arms around her, embracing her in a girly affectionate hug, Isolda who was watching couldn't help herself and joined in, then Helma, and then Liva.
"Ya better come back to us with that Sigil on your shield dammit!" Helma said, her burly strong arms tightening around Alva's neck in a possessive grip.
"y...yeah! thats right!" Liva followed, Isolda who had tears of compassion and pride streaking down her pale cheeks broke contact first, firmly holding both of Alva's shoulders in her strong grip
"Regardless Alva, even if you return without a Sigil you will always be welcomed in the palace" she emphasised on the 'always' bit with a fiery passion ensuring Alva knew she meant it.
"I wont let you down, that's a promise" Alva said with a strong sense of purpose that practically melted like pure lava within her tone of voice, a fire that could be felt brushing against the skin of the Valkyries causing the hair on the back of their necks to stand. The young shield maiden leaped onto her boat making a thud noise as she began skipping along to the rigging to prepare her sails.
Once her anchor had been raised, she turned to the Valkyries who were awaiting her departure, giving them a genuine and sincere smile, she placed a single leather boot against the wooden slipway and pushed her boat into the momentum of the wind allowing her movement. She waved at Sigrid, Helma, Isolda, and Liva their figures growing smaller and smaller as she disappeared into the horizon.
"hmm... i wonder what snacks they got me" Alva wondered as she trotted into the cabin laying within the lower layer of the hull.
Her boat was quite big, enough to accommodate a small band of warriors but not big enough that it needed more than one person to operate, it was the perfect vessel for her journey. Her green eyes wandered around the cabin of her hull, there were multiple beds suspended from the ceiling, a table with some chairs around it, her pupils finally landing on what she was looking for, a few crates that she believed had her "supplies" in it. She walked over to it and kicked the lid off to investigate the possibilities of some delicious snacks, knowing the boat and food where supplied by king Eric the kind himself.
"Ewwww...." she muttered as she took in the amounts of dehydrated fruits and goods that filled the crate, she didn't know what to expect really, its not like you can store fresh meat or vegetables on a sea voyage. Regardless the young shield maiden wasn't a complainer, it wasn't in her nature to whine and moan about such little things so she took a bag of dried apple slices which seemed to be the most appetizing food there.
"mmmm this will do.." She thought to herself as she snacked away on the dried pieces of fruit crunching and crunching away. Alva began making her way up the stairs to the deck of the boat towards the rudder, her compass in hand as she ensured she was sailing in the right direction, steering the wheel directly east to where the isle of storms are. She noticed far in the distance multiple dark and eerie clouds approaching, the waters raising in tension ever so slightly.
"A storm in the horizon" She muttered although she inherently believed that the signs of a storm meant good will, this one in particular however would be the very rampage that will set the wheels of fate into motion.
As 6 hours passed by in a blur, Alva who was peacefully sleeping in her bunk was abruptly awoken by the loud hits of rain slamming against the roof, The rocking sway of her boat caused her to roll and hit the floor emitting a yelp from the young woman as she raised herself on her two feet attempting to maintain balance. she held onto the railings on the side of the stairway raising the lid compartment to the deck. Her viridian pupils widening at the sight before her, the sky was covered in pitch black clouds that seemed to touch the tip of her sails, flashing lights of thunder screened across the vastness overhead as heavy droplets of rain crashed down against her. She had never seen such a strange phenomena before.
"the clouds... they're black..." she thought to herself, her senses immediately detecting a strong sense of dread that seemed to choke the atmosphere itself. She rushed over to her mast releasing her sails to prevent any further damage before dropping the anchor in hopes of relieving the intense sway of her boat, the waves growing by the second as they crashed into the hull with ferocious force.
Then all of a sudden... eerie demonic whispers numbering hundreds could be heard echoing throughout the wind that enveloped Alva, her emotions a whirl of caution and anticipation, she knew something sinister was at play and she would not back down without a fight.
Her spear and shield ready to face any threat should they arise, her head turned towards the rudder at the base of the boat, there in the center stood a mysterious cloaked figure in long black robes that flickered at incredible lengths flowing violently alongside the gusts of the storm, beneath the enigmatic figures hood were three red otherworldly lights that weren't comprehendible for the human mind to "make sense of"
the sensation of pain, agony, suffering, and certain death was all she could feel from the odd entity, without warning she released some of her mana within her spear and sent it flying in the direction of the figure with unrelenting speed only for the spear to phase through the being completely, with a flick of her wrist her spear teleported back into her hands, a Nordic spell she learnt from Isolda.
"Tsk.. Who are you?! and what do you want?!" she exclaimed demanding an answer from the entity as she assumed a defensive stance, the demonic whispers that surrounded her and the figure suddenly went silent, even the rain that fell from the sky seemed to slow down as if the passage of time was slowing to a halt, then from within the silence a booming hellish laughter abruptly began emitting from the atmosphere causing Alva to shield her ears from the deafening evil sound.
As her eyes flickered towards the entity her heart dropped as she observed the massive rogue wave approaching from behind heading straight towards her, making her boat seem like nothing more than a speck in the face of such a force of nature. Her mind raced with many thoughts, desperate for any means of escape from her impending doom, her emotions a whirlwind of panic and dread.
"I don't want to die... I cant die... not now...." she said, her voice trembling in an uncharacteristic tone, she was scared, terrified even. She dropped to her knees releasing her spear and shield from her grip as the Mass of water beckoned closer and closer, her eyes closing as images of her mother and father began flooding her mind
"I'm.. I'm sorry mother... father.... i.. failed" she cried before her boat violently capsized, her body crashing against the rampaging waters as she began sinking into the depths of dark deep blue waters.....