WIEDERGEBURT Act VI: Chapter 27

Fray, Chloe, Tora, and Schnee looked at me like I had grown a second head, and I wondered if maybe they hadn’t heard me right. Then I realized that perhaps Schnee didn’t know Siv by the name I gave her but her real name instead.

“Er… Siv’s real name is *******,” I screeched, and Fray, Chloe, and Tora leapt away from me in shock while Schnee’s eyes widened. I tried to ignore the squirming in my gut as I looked imploringly at the drakvar woman. “Do you… do you know her? Is she here?”

I knew Siv and Kari were alive. No matter how far apart we were, I could still feel them through the bond we shared, still use the elements that were theirs, but knowing they were safe and seeing them were two very different matters. I wanted--no, I needed to see them again. Right now if possible.

Finally, Schnee broke into a smile. “I see. So you are Eryk Veiger.”

I stood up straighter when she used the last name I’d been going by for pretty much my whole life. “Yes. Yes, I am. Does that mean you know them?”

“I do indeed.” Schnee nodded. “The one you call Siv is my daughter, after all.” I felt a jolt ripple down my spine, but she continued heedless of this. “Siv and Kari appeared in our realm four years ago. They had run afoul of a Sekbeist regiment when our own soldiers found them, saved them, and brought them to me. Since then, Siv and Kari have mostly stayed in my palace and trained.”

While I listened to everything Schnee told me, another part of me felt shock. Had four years really gone by? I thought back to the time I’d been wandering the Ironwood Forest. Time had completely lost meaning for me in my struggle for survival. I had no idea if days, months, or even years had passed before Fray found me. I’d only thought it had been a few months myself, but it was certainly possible four years had gone by without me noticing.

“Are they still in the palace?” I asked. “Can I see them?”

Schnee must have heard the longing in my voice for the smile on her face widened as a gleam entered her eyes.

“Unfortunately, they are not at the palace right now,” she admitted. “About one year ago, my daughter expressed a desire to contribute to the fight against the Sekbeist. She has always been a very timid girl, so I was very surprised but also happy to see her so strongly wish to help. She and Kari are currently at one of our fortress cities. It is a fortress city within the mountains next to Drachen Pass. Lindwurm is what it would be called in your tongue. It is one of our strongholds against Sekbeist incursion.”

“So they’re there.” I walked close to the woman and looked down at her. “Can you please give me directions to get there?”

“Now hold on, young man.” Schnee gestured for me to calm down. “I certainly have no qualms about you going to them, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Perhaps this can wait until after all of the supplies have been unloaded?”

I bit my lip to keep myself from telling this woman I couldn’t wait another second and that she’d better give me directions to Lindwurm now before I did something we’d all regret. The words were on the tip of my tongue. But this was Siv’s mother. I didn’t want her to have a bad impression of me, so I forced the words back down and nodded once.

Perhaps Schnee understood why I was being silent. Her smile turned gentle.

“Do not worry. You will see them soon. However, Lindwurm is ten days travel from here even for us drakvar. Half of these supplies are actually for Lindwurm’s armories and blacksmiths.”

At that point, I had no choice but to calm down and agree to wait, no matter how painful it might be.

I decided to help with the unloading process while Fray spoke with Schnee, whose real name I learned was just as unpronounceable in the human tongue as Siv’s. Schnee was the name Fray had given her when they became sworn sisters. Unloading was a mindless task. I lifted crates and barrels filled with supplies, most of which was various ores, metals, and monster parts. Tora, perhaps out of a sense of boredom, decided to join me. We worked side by side without talking at all. I was grateful. I didn’t want to talk right now.

When we finished unloading, Schnee invited us to her castle.

The architecture in Vindenket was far different from Gudeverdenen. Most of the buildings were made from massive gray stones, and their shapes were unimaginative squares and rectangles. There were no excess decorations on any of the buildings we passed on the way to the castle. I looked at one building in particular, and it was literally just a square made of large stones stacked on top of each other. The entrance was a hole that had been carved out. It didn’t even have a door.

The castle was a different beast, having been built as a gift from Fray some centuries back. Not only was it built in the style reminiscent to the palace in Ásgarðr, it was built atop a floating island about a hundred meters above the ground, chained to the earth with eight massive chains as if to prevent it from floating away. I couldn’t judge the size of the island, but it was at least as large as a small city on its own.

It reminded me of the floating city where the Great Overlord of the Seventh Realm had been sealed.

We flew up to the island and landed on a stone path surrounded by a field of flowers and lined with columns. This castle was definitely more in the style of the Guddomelig than the Drakvar. It had all the extended balconies, hanging gardens, and even one of Fray’s gravity defying waterfalls that traveled in reverse.

The door was much larger than the palace on Ásgarðr, and the hallways were wider and taller. I assumed this was to let Drakvar travel through it in their natural forms. Their original shape was that of a dragon, after all. We walked down one of many marble hallways and eventually found ourselves on a balcony with a large table in the center. This balcony had an array of flowers in a flower bed that traveled around the balcony’s railing, vines hung over the head, and the blossoms swayed gently in the breeze, bringing with them a fresh fragrance.

Our group, which consisted of myself, Fray, Schnee, Chloe, and Tora, sat down around the table as Schnee ordered one of her servants to prepare some refreshments for us.

“So tell me more about what you have been up to, Sister,” Schnee said with a bright smile and sparkles in her eyes. She looked just like a kid. It reminded me so much of my wife that my heart ached.

“There is not much to tell.” Fray’s smile seeped amusement as she spoke. “The Sekbeist have been quiet for the most part, but a few of our villages on the outskirts of the Ironwood Forest have been attacked. Tor mentioned he might mobilize the army to push them back, but he had not done so before I left.”

“That’s not what I want to know about,” Schnee complained with a whine.

Fray laughed at the other woman’s antics. “I know. My apologies. Perhaps you would prefer if I tell you the story of how I discovered my nephew wandering Ironwood Forest by himself.”

“Yes, please.”

I decided to tune out this story since I was the person they were talking about, but Tora and Chloe leaned forward as Fray told them about how I’d been attacked by Durmuz and Zogarod. The way their eyes sparkled as she spoke of the battle said a lot. They also seemed quite shocked when Fray mentioned I’d been able to comprehend enough of the Concept of Space to undo the spatial lock Durmuz placed me in.

“It sounds like my daughter’s mate has had it even rougher than she has,” Schnee said with a look at me. “You are quite resilient.”

“Thank you,” I said simply. I hesitated, but then decided to satisfy my own curiosity. “Can you tell me how Siv and Kari have been doing here?”

“Of course,” Schnee agreed.

Before she could speak, twelve servants came in pushing large carts, and the overpowering scent of cooked meat and spices filled the air. I watched in amusement as most of these servants placed a large stack of meat on a tray in front of Schnee, who began devouring the food like a ravenous beast. She practically inhaled it.

I guess all Drakvar were big eaters.

The rest of us were served tea, sandwiches, and a light salad instead of meat. It seemed Schnee was aware of the difference in our palates. She did not speak until she was about halfway done with her food.

“I believe I already mentioned that Kari and Siv were being chased by a regiment of Sekbeists when my soldiers found them. According to what they told me, they appeared in one of the mountainous regions currently under Sekbeist occupation and had to fight their way out. Unfortunately, neither of them had any understanding of high level concepts at the time, so it was rough.”

Hearing about what my wives went through while we were separated made me grimace. I hated to know they faced danger and I wasn’t there to watch their backs.

Schnee continued. “They were eventually found near the border of another fortress city, Drakengarde. When the soldiers saved them and learned who Siv was, they were brought to me.”

Schnee told me about how Siv and Kari went into closed-door training after that in an attempt to glean understanding of high level concepts. Siv could not use the Concept of Space to an extent, which was apparently the second power she’d been born with. I wondered if the silver tint in her hair somehow represented her powers over space. On the other hand, Kari was trying to learn about the Concept of Dimension, but it was much harder for her since she was human.

“She’s a very resilient girl, that one,” Schnee complimented my wife. “I am very glad Siv has found such good people during her most trying time. Thank you so much for looking after my daughter.”

As Schnee bowed her head to me, I thought about all the things I could say to this woman. I could tell her there was no need for thanks, that Siv and I only met by chance, that I didn’t protect Siv for her sake. I didn’t say any of that.

“You’re welcome,” I replied simply.

Schnee smiled at me and tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear. “You don’t know how much Siv has spoken of you. The girl is so smitten I am almost tempted to believe you brainwashed her somehow. Oh, don’t give me that look. I am teasing. I know Siv loves you because of the kind of person you are. Please continue to look after Siv in the future.”

“You don’t have to ask that of me,” I replied softly. “It has always been my intention to look after Siv for the rest of our lives together.”

“That is good to hear,” Schnee said.

We continued to converse for several others, but then Schnee said she wanted to speak with Fray alone and had some servants escort myself, Chloe, and Tora to a room where we could relax. It was a spacious room with several large couches, love seats, and covered in plants. Water flowed through small channels built into the stone floor.

“Fucking fuck,” Tora muttered under her breath, glaring at me. “You never told me one of your wives was the fucking daughter of the reigning Dragon Queen.”

“I didn’t know,” I said with a shrug.

We were sitting on the couches, which formed a circle around a table. Even though there was a lot of space, Chloe and Tora were sitting right beside me. I could feel their body heat through our clothes.

“I am also surprised you married someone so prominent, but I am more curious about how your wife ended up on Miðgarðr,” Chloe said.

“She and her father apparently used an emergency Warp Gate to escape,” I explained. “I assume wherever they were at the time had a Warp Gate that led to Miðgarðr.”

“It was probably the original capital,” Chloe mused, head tilting. “The original capital of the Drakvar was called Drachen Heimat, which means Home of Dragons. It was where Lady Tiamat ruled before she and the other Great Overlords were sealed away with pieces of the Sekbeist Overlord. I heard it was destroyed several decades ago, and the capital was relocated to here.”

“So I see.” I paused and switched gears. “You know, I’ve always wondered about those titles. Why do the Great Overlords share this title with the Sekbeist Overlord?”

“You don’t fucking know that?” Tora asked and then began explaining before either myself or Chloe could say anything. “Over a thousand years ago, the Sekbeist came to our world in flying ships that traveled the stars. When they arrived, our many races tried to greet them, but they met our offers of peace with war. Their leader called himself the Sekbeist Overlord. In response to the threat he posed, the leaders of the Nine Great Races took up the title Great Overlord as a means of inspiring courage where the Sekbeist Overlord inspired fear.” Tora paused, then shrugged. “Well, that’s the story I’ve always been told.”

“It’s accurate enough,” Chloe said. “I was still a child at the time, but I do remember when Wōtan took up the title Great Overlord of the Ninth Realm and promised us that he and the others would put an end to the war.”

I leaned back on the couch as I listened to the two speak. I’d always wondered about those titles and why they sounded so similar to their enemies. Now I knew.

We spoke some more, and I noticed something quite odd about these two. Whenever I asked a question or even just made a comment, Chloe and Tora would try to speak first, and when the other person spoke, they would try to talk over the other. I would have asked what this was about. However, I had not been born yesterday.

“Tora does not actually know what she is talking about, Master Eryk. All she’s heard are rumors. The truth about the Sekbeist are--”

“Don’t listen to this fucking hag, Eryk. I know what I’m talking about.”

“You don’t know anything. Now keep your mouth shut, little girl.”

“Listen the fuck here. I don’t care if you are the Invincible Valkyrie or the fucking empress of the nine realms. I will beat your ass so hard you’ll be calling me mistress when I’m done with you.”

“The only person I will ever call ‘mistress’ is Lady Fray.”

I think what made this situation much worse--for me--was how I was sitting between them. It basically meant they were arguing with each other in my ear. They were also loud.

I was just about to tell them both to quiet down, but then the doors burst open. Fray and Schnee walked in. I was about to thank them for their timely rescue, but the dark expressions they wore, which cast ominous shadows around their eyes, made my mouth snap shut.

“Lady Fray.” Chloe stood up and bowed. “What is wrong? You look worried.”

“We have just received some grave news,” Fray said. “The Warp Gate has closed. We do not know what happened, but we cannot open it anymore.”

“What?” Chloe whispered in shock.

“It gets worse,” Schnee added, worry and regret clear on her face. “A Drakvar soldier just flew in from Lindwurm. They are under attack by an army of Sekbeists. It won’t be long before the city is taken if not reinforced. In fact, considering the distance between here and Lindwurm, it may already be too late.”

***

Don’t worry. You’re going to be all right.”

Kari tried to sooth the moaning man lying naked on his stomach. It was a drakvar who’d had one of his wings torn clean off. The other wing was mangled beyond recognition, with holes torn in the leather, the bones twisted, and several bones missing.

The scent of blood filled with air as Kari placed her hands over the stump and manipulated the blood inside of this man’s body to stop gushing out. She could not regrow his missing limb. Even with the Fourth State of Spiritualism for all seven elements, the most she could do was heal the wound so it closed over. And that was exactly what she did.

His other wing was a bit more problematic. She could heal it, of course, and it would be as good as new… but he was already missing one wing. Even if she healed this wing, he would never be able to fly again. That was like a death sentence for one of the Drakvar race. Despite this, she did her best to heal him.

“If only Fay were here,” Kari muttered with a tired sigh.

She stood up after doing everything she could for the man, who was now fast asleep. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all for the last several days thanks to the pain he’d been in. Of course, he was but one of many. Kari had been healing the wounded for the past four days.

Kari turned to Siv, who was currently healing a Drakvar woman with several deep gashes on her torso. There was so much blood pouring from the wound, and Kari could see the bone, but even as she watched, the wound slowly closed up.

Like Kari, Siv’s clothing was stained with so much blood much of the original color was gone. The two of them had been doing their best to heal everyone with their newly acquired power, but there were only two of them and thousands of injured. They had been forced to prioritize those whose injuries were life threatening before anyone else’s.

“There.” Siv wiped the sweat from her brow, though this caused blood to become smeared across her forehead. “You should be fine with a good night’s rest.”

“Thank you,” the woman she healed muttered before closing her eyes and falling fast asleep.

“Is that the last of them?” Kari asked as Siv stood up.

“I think so,” Siv muttered. The petite woman looked exhausted. There were bags under her eyes, her shoulders were slouched, and her face looked haggard. Kari felt the same way, but she tried not to show it.

“You’ve done a good job.” Kari placed a hand on Siv’s shoulder and spoke in a soft voice.

Siv reached up and placed a hand over Kari’s. “Thank you, Sister.”

Despite their situation, Kari smiled. After coming to this realm, she and Siv had to rely on each other for survival, and it had helped close whatever gap had stood between them.

A man walked through the entrance to their left. Entrances in Vindenket were wider to accommodate for the Drakvar’s wings. They also did not have a door. If someone wanted privacy, they covered the entrance with sheets. It reminded Kari of the Lamia back in the Endless Desert.

“Lady Siv. Lady Kari. You both did an excellent job. Why don’t you take a bath and get some rest now. I have prepared the water for you.”

The man standing before them was relatively handsome. His hair was a dark red that bordered on black, he had pale skin that was covered in reddish black scales, and his draconic features were more noticeable than most. Horns swept back from his head. His tail was nearly twice the length of Siv’s. Four meter long wings rested against his back, currently folded to make him smaller. Battered armor adorned most of his body. It looked like steel, but it was actually made from something called Spirit Ore, a type of metal found in Gudeverdenen.

Kari tried her best to ignore the lust brimming in this man’s eyes as he looked over her body and grabbed Siv’s hand.

“Thank you, Captain Nidhogg. We will do just that.”

Siv didn’t need to be told twice. She walked with Kari out of the room. Neither of them spoke until they were certain the captain wouldn’t hear them.

“I do not like him,” Siv said.

“I don’t either.” Kari gave her sister a bitter smile. “The way he stares at us is creepy. I’m honestly concerned he might try to assault us in the middle of the night if we’re not careful.”

Captain Nidhogg was the leader of this fortress city, and he was something of an arrogant jerk who had no qualms about assaulting women when it pleased him. He once tried to hit on Kari but received several broken ribs for his troubles. She was sure he would have tried again, but Siv was Queen Schnee’s daughter, and he was not willing to risk incurring her wrath for fifteen minutes of pleasure.

It didn’t stop either of them from worrying.

The fortress city Lindwurm was not like most cities. Built into the bedrock of a mountain, most of the city was located in caverns and tunnels. Only a small portion was actually located outside--the fortifications that guarded the mountain pass.

As they traveled through the city, Kari tried not to look at the various people lying in the hallways they walked through. Many of them were still injured. Some had bandages wrapped around their heads, arms, or torso. Others were missing limbs entirely. The ones with simply gashes did not get healed by Kari and Siv, who had been asked to prioritize grievous injuries over small ones. The scent of sweat and blood filled her nose as they made their way to the baths.

There were several baths in Lindwurm and most of them were communal, but Kari and Siv had their own bath because of their importance. Without their aid, Lindwurm would have fallen when the Sekbeist regiment attacked. It had only just withstood the assault thanks to them.

The bath was large and dug into the ground. It looked more like a pond than a bath, but the inside was lined with stones and sediment. It was built inside of a cavernous space. There were cubby holes for her and Siv to place their clothes inside, a stool to sit on as they scrubbed the dirt from their bodies, and a bucket to rinse themselves off. For some reason, Vindenket did not have showers.

Kari and Siv cleaned each other off with a sponge made from a type of hardy plant that only grew on Vindenket. She couldn’t be bothered to remember the name. It felt a little rough on the skin, so they were very careful when using it. Kari made sure to be gentle as she scrubbed Siv’s back, underarms, chest, and even her legs and feet. Siv did the same for Kari.

After they rinsed off, the two stepped into the steaming bath. There was a small bench around the bath for them to sit. The water came up to her chest and Siv’s chin. Kari amused herself by heating up with the water with the fire element and the concept of heat.

“It’s been four years since we came here,” Siv muttered.

“And still no sign of Eryk,” Kari added.

“He is still alive,” Siv said. “I feel it.”

“I know. I can feel it too. I know he is alive.”

“I miss him.”

“So do I.”

Four years without their husband was hard on them. They had spent over a decade with their husband, seeing him every day, interacting with him constantly, and basking in his presence. Now he was gone from their lives. It might only be temporary, but this forced separation was not something they wanted to experience ever again.

Kari placed a hand against her chest, touching the black runes that looked like they’d been painted on her skin. Siv had the same runes. These runes represented their bond with Eryk. They had appeared after they had sex with and ingested his blood, and they allowed Siv, Kari, Lin, and Fay to use Eryk’s elemental affinities and visa versa. It was thanks to these runes granting them an affinity for water that they became such accomplished healers.

Siv and Kari didn’t stay in the bath long, worried that Nidhogg might try something. After drying off and getting dressed, they traveled to their room, which was a simple affair. The room was no bigger than maybe a hundred square meters in size and only featured a single bed and a dresser. Being a city built in a mountain, it did not have much space to spare.

Kari felt like her head had barely hit the pillow before she and Siv were pulled awake by the blaring of an alarm. She groaned in complaint but pulled herself to her feet and began putting on her clothes. Siv did the same. She slipped on her stockings, pulled up her skirt, put on her blouse, and attacked the chestplate, gauntlets, and greaves to her body.

While the clothing she wore was a remake of her old clothes, the armor was brand new. It was made from a Greater Prismatic Wyrm. Queen Schnee had ordered her blacksmiths to make this armor for Siv and Kari out of the dwindling stock they had available. Kari would have protested, but she knew this would help her live, and that was her goal right now. Live and find Eryk.

Once they were dressed, Kari and Siv raced out of their room and traveled out of the mountain. The bright red sky looked like it was on fire, but that was not so unusual. The sky always looked like that except during the night.

Kari flew up to the rampart wall with Siv. The wall was big enough that dragons could stand on it, which meant Kari looked positively tiny as she raced over to the outer wall. This fortress protected Drachen Pass. It was the only way to reach the capital when traveling in this direction. The rest of this mountain was treacherous and filled with danger. Of course, the Sekbeist Lords would have no trouble getting through, but they would have to leave the slave caste behind.

Several Drakvar were already standing on the wall, some in their dragon forms and others retaining a more human shape. Kari ignored them as she placed a hand over her head and peered into the distance. By channeling the light element into her eyes, she could enhance her vision several times over.

Which meant she could see the massive army just fine.

There were so many Sekbeist that Kari could not even begin to count them all. They easily outnumbered the Drakvar stationed at this fortress by at least one thousand to one, however. Most of them were of the slave cast. She saw grunts, shamans, warlords, and beasts. However, standing at the head of this army were two Sekbeist Lords. As Kari laid eyes on the two, a chill ran down her spine. They had not fought against those two last time. They hadn’t been around. But if two Sekbeist Lords were here now, then this battle had just become a whole lot more hopeless.