The Frozen Wasteland

[Izual^Nazareth]

He seemed to blur for a moment...a wave of energy launched toward her in a crescent arc. He moved with blinding speed, already coming up from behind her...the blade in his hand left unready...it seemed his employer wanted to be completely sure she was the one whom it sought. He brought a small spike of energy to her hair.  

[DarkScarlettVixen]

Her breath exploded out of her in surprise; he was fast! She obeyed instinct. Diving sideways and rolling, sending her own slash of energy at him from his left from her position on the ground. She reached up her hair seem to come alive and braid and bind itself tightly so it it would be a bit harder for him to get at.  

[Izual^Nazareth]

He did not seem the slightest disturbed by her attack, flicking a small but concentrated crescent into the center of her energy, dissipating the attack while he twirled his sword upward...a column of energy coming up around her...the tops curling toward the center in an attempt to imprison her.  

[DarkScarlettVixen]

She leapt to her feet and shot upwards, swining her sword, slicing through the attack and exploding out of the top. She spun once before diving to the ground and landing briefly, long enough to get a foot down to launch herself at Noel. She split her sword again and made a horizontal slice at him.  

[Izual^Nazareth]

He did not move as she launched herself at him...wondering what her reaction would be at his lack of concern for her attack. He placed his weapon in line to parry her blade, taking a single step forward.  

[DarkScarlettVixen]

Uriah brought her second blade crashign down on his head. Just as she was doing so, something very bright flashed above them and there was a mighty commotion like a number of voice engaged in a war cry.  

[Izual^Nazareth]

As she brought forth the blade upon his head...another weapon flicked out from his sleeves...a delicate rapier...which he brought directly in line with her weapon...batting it aside with inhumane speed...the blade disappearing a moment later as he continued the motion...launching a spike of energy launched at a stray hair from close proximity.  

[DarkScarlettVixen]

She tried to do three things at once and ended up missing her strike and getting a few strands of hair sliced from her head. She landed in an untidy pile just as 9 valkyrie landed in a loose but perfect circle around Noel and Uriah. She blinked at them all, "What?" She murmered fuzzily. All nine valkyrie pointed at Noel but only one spoke, a very tall red head with intense green eyes, "Leave Judas of Man. You may have taken us one at a time but you will have no hope taking ten of us at a time." She snarled.  

[Izual^Nazareth]

He merely snatched the strands from the air as the interlopers appeared...an amused look on his face."I have no need to take ten of you at once...since your sisters could do the job just as easily for me...but I have what I needed...insolence for a hunter...it may come back to haunt you...as I rip your soul from your body..."He grinned boyishly...power rushing up from within...the strength of every valkyrie glowing from his inner self...then a blink...and he was gone.  

[DarkScarlettVixen]

Uriah stared at the spot where he had stood, "He got what he came for! Who are you?" She snapped, suddenly very angry.

Uriah...softly. Mobius's voice came soothingly into her mind.

Uriah frowned, looking down at the ground and saying nothing.

The prominent redhead came and knelt near her, "I am one of the valkyrie you were able to rescue from him. These are my sisters....your sisters."

Uriah still didn't say anything.

The other woman sighed and said something quickly in a lauguage that Uriah only vaguely recognized. And then she wasn't kneeling in snow but on tile, near a hearth.

She blinked and looked around at the room she was in. It was a bedroom, a rather large one. Only the redhaired valkyrie was present now and she was no longer in armour, "Where are we?"

"Someplace safe." There's a bath drawn for you and you clothes will be washed." The other woman said as she stood and headed for the door, "Some food will be brought as well. Welcome home Uriah."  

[DarkScarlettVixen]

Uriah stared at the woman who said her name was Freya, "I'm....not a true valkyrie?" She asked numbly.

Freya started, "No! No, of course you are, dear....you were just...engineered. If your blood was tested, it would be pure valkyrie, we were careful. We kept falling to men and women such as Noel, specialists in dark magic and we specialize in white or light magic and it can be quite a weakness for us. We took steps to design a valkyrie that would be able to adapt to the one she was fighting. We weren't sure if it'd work, that is why we havn't bred more."

Uriah was numb and cold all over, she might as well have still been in teh wastelands instead of in front of this cozy fire, she was so cold. She'd bathed, then eaten and now Freya was telling her this. She was wishing she hadn't eaten, she felt sick, "Why didn't it work, then?"

Freya shook her head, not understanding the question.

"I didn't beat him....nothing special happened, adn he got what he came for. Whoever hired him will probably be after me now, if I'm what they were lookign for...."

Freya frowned, "It hasn't been activated. This specific talent...."  

[DarkScarlettVixen]

She couldn't stand any more company so she sat alone, staring at the fire. As a force of habit, she replayed her fight with that man Noel, closign her eyes tightly, I would have been in serious trouble if he'd wanted to kill me....She concluded and sighed, "Not as strong as I thought." There was only one thing to do, of course. She couldn't stay here any longer, she needed to find someplace she was comfortable and train.

She paused, remembering the rest of her conversation with Freya. Apparantly she was a weapon, not naturally born, engineered to absorb and use darkness against their enemies, "But that's why we need caution. If you take in too much Darkness or are given too much, you will be just as our enemies, maybe even worse. We are not sure if any of our enemies know of your special ability but we'd like you to stay here, be safe, learn more about yourself."

"Yeah right." Uriah threw her things into her sack, "All lies...." She growled.