Destiny: Legacy of a Spellbinder Part 12

Printer-friendly version
Destiny: Legacy of a Spellbinder

Ragarnok Rising III

by:

Daniela A. Wolfe

The final battle swiftly approaches and it has been given to me to complete a task so monumental that it may be the sole means by which the Jotun can be defeated. All of Midgard and the goddesses themselves depend on me. Am I up to the task, or will I fail and doom the entirety of human existence to total annihilation?

Bryn

0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
----Final Note: Please Read----

Well here's the final part! I must say I'm a little sad, this story consumed a lot of my time in the last year and I look back on that time spent quite fondly. A lot of people have asked if I intend to write any other stories in this series and the answer is a hopeful yes. I have ideas for several stories, but there are other stories I hope to write.

I've created eBooks for all my stories (well except Virtually Twisted), they've all been uploaded to BigCloset.

Shout outs go to the following people: Beyogi, Maggie Finson, Loki who served as either alpha and/or beta readers, The Rev. Anam Chara who helped edit some of the dialogue (spoken by the characters Hervor, Heime & Gilda) to more accurately reflect Elizabethan era English and last but certainly not least Holly H Hart for her superb editing prowess.
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
Vordag, the fourteenth of Harpa

Midgard is in ruins, and the total death toll numbers in the hundreds of millions and that's just for the humans. The Lejosá¡lfar and the exiled elves losses were much fewer, but their numbers were much lower to begin with, and it will take them many more years to recover their numbers. The Dokká¡lfar suffered even more devastating losses, and it will take them centuries before they pose a serious threat again.

Relief efforts have started, and we're beginning the long process of rebuilding. The Lejosá¡lfar are helping in whatever way we can, but it will likely be many years before the wounds from what people are beginning to call the Ragnarok War will be completely healed.

Daniella is a little bit worse for the wear. She's still recovering, with so many wounded the healers have been working hard to keep as many as they can alive. Many of the wounded have only been healed enough to ensure they'll live. Daniella is no exception. She's up and walking, but she's still in a good amount of pain. I'm glad she survived It would have been hard to suffer another personal loss like I did when Marion and Sophie passed.

As for me, I'm still trying to get a grasp on being queen. The Lejosá¡lfar accept me as their leader, but exiled tribes still refuse to accept any queen. I wish I knew how I could reunify the two people, but my final oath to Hervor prevents me from doing the one thing that would allow that. The exiled tribes believe Freyr to be their rightful ruler, and nothing I say or do will change that.

And then there's the issue of my new found power… I still don't understand where it came from, but it seems to be here to stay. I'm more powerful than any elf alive, and I even rival some of the goddesses in raw potential. Which begs the question: am I a goddess, or something else entirely? How and why was I given this power and what am I supposed to do with it? So many questions and I don't have the answers to any of them… I know of one person who might have the answers, but Frigg has yet to grace me with her presence.

Since our victory the gods have retreated from Midgard and no one knows when they might return or even why they've disappeared.

There has been so much death and destruction, but at least it's all over. Everyone suffered horrible losses and there's one more loss that I had not expected. Nick Flint. We found his remains tangled with those of Jonas Talman, and it appears that the two did each other in. Maybe now he and Marion can be together. I hope he's happier in the next life than he was in this one.

The dead are returning to Helheim in droves, and we all got a chance to say goodbye…

"Oh Bryn," Sophie whispered, tears streaming down her face as she we embraced for one final time.

"At least this time we get to say goodbye," I whispered back, feeling tears of my own well up.

"I envy you. You have this amazing life ahead you." She smiled wistfully, grabbing hold of each of my hands.

I squeezed her hands and shook my head. One of the many things that that really been hit home since I'd taken Hervor's place as queen was that I might live forever. I was immortal, and unless someone took it into their head to kill me, I would never die. I know there were some people that would do anything to trade places with me for that very reason, but it scared me that I might never see my loved ones again once they had passed on.

"You could stay. Maybe I could convince Gna to let you–" I pleaded.

"No, Bryn. I'm dead. Mom and Dad are waiting for me. I want to be with them."

"What about Sam and Leif? You said yourself that you think they're both still alive."

"Then I hope you find them, but I still have to go. I'll see them when they die," she shook her head.

I nodded and wiped the tears out of my eyes, "Goodbye Sophie."

"Goodbye Bryn," she whispered then her hands slipped out from mine and she disappeared into the lines of the dead.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked back to find Garik staring at me with a gentle smile on his face. I wrapped my arms around him and started to sob hysterically. Eva came up and wrapped her arms around my back and the three of us just stood there holding each other.

"Bryn," Marion's voice called and I broke away from Garik and Eva to watch as she approached with Penelope at her side.

"I guess this is goodbye." A new voice, and I turned to see my mother accompanied by Daniella and my gramor.

"Aryanna, I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you. Thank you for looking after my sister. I'm glad you could find someone that could make you happy," Penelope said.

Penelope, Marion and Mom all muttered their own regrets. Then they each said goodbye and Marion's gaze met my own.

I walked slowly over to her and I felt her arms around me, "I'm going to miss you Bryn," she whispered.

"Oh, Marion. I'm so afraid," I said.

"Don't be, you're going to do just fine. It's time to go. Flint is waiting for me in Helheim." She smiled, then I felt her arms withdraw.

"Goodbye, Aunt Mare," I said.

"Goodbye Bryn," she called and was gone within moments.

Heime came up next to me and put his arm on my shoulder. Neither one of us spoke and everyone gathered around us.

A figure mounted atop a tall white horse appeared in the distance and started galloping right at us. The animal came to a sudden stop in front of us and the rider leapt to the ground in front of us.

"Gna!" Mom called out.

The goddess grinned and looked us each over, "So, it is done then. Ragnarok has been averted."

"Yes…" I whispered with a shake of my head.

"Is this it then? Is this how it all ends? With Hel gone, who will watch over the dead?" Mom asked.

"I will," Gna said with a very slight from.

"So you are to become the new goddess of death?" I asked incredulously.

"No," Gna said with a shake of her head, placing her hand on the pommel of the horse's saddle.

"Then who?" Daniella asked.

Gna shrugged and remounted her horse. "I couldn't tell you. There isn't anyone… yet," she said just before spurring her horse into motion and speeding off into the horizon.
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
Sunadag, the Eighteenth of Harpa

Mom reached up to touch the lock of hair that marked me as an apprentice. Suddenly there was a flash of light and when I reached over to put the lock in front of my face I realized it had returned to its previous auburn color.

"What did you do that for? My training isn't complete." I asked staring at her in confusion.

Mom smiled sadly, "It’s not appropriate for the queen of the Lejosá¡lfar to remain a spellbinder's apprentice."

"Well, I must admit you seem to be doing quite well in your new position," a voice said off to my side.

I felt my heart leap in my chest and my head darted to my side where a woman with long brown hair was staring at me with an amused grin. Light seemed to dance in her eyes and there was a sort of soft glow that swirled around her.

"Frigg," my mother whispered.

"Good, you're both here. This will make things easier," the Allmother grinned.

"So," I said glaring at Frigg. "The great manipulator has come to explain her actions."

Frigg seemed momentarily taken aback as she stared at me with wide eyes. Then she threw her head back in a hearty laugh, "Such defiance! You are your mother's child, I'll give you that! I suppose I deserve your scorn after the things I've done."

"Then tell me… What am I?" I asked with a shake of my head.

Frigg smiled sadly, "I think you already suspect the truth, but do you understand how it happened?"

"How what happened? What have you done to my child?" My mother demanded.

"It was never something I intended to happen, and somehow I failed to foresee the possibility," Frigg said with a shake of her head.

"Foresee what?!" Mom demanded.

"Your daughter is a goddess," Frigg said with a slight frown.

"So it's true… but how?" I asked.

The goddess grinned, "When Hel attacked you, her spell backfired. It destroyed both her body and soul, but all that magical energy was left behind and it had to go somewhere…"

"…so it went into me," I finished.

Frigg nodded, "The magic changed you… It didn't happen immediately, it took your body a while before it could begin to assimilate all that power."

"Oh frizz… Finding out I was a half-elf was weird enough, but this… I don't even know what I'll do with this sort of power."

"Whatever you like, girl."

"Whatever I like? You know as well as I do that my choices are limited."

Frigg frowned and looked me in the eyes, "I know all too well. Hervor and I … we planned it all together almost from the beginning. I regret what had to be done. I wish there had been another way, but the route we chose had the highest likeliness of success."

"We're just pawns to you. Pieces to be moved around on a damn game board! Tell me! Why did you do this to us! Why? What did it gain you?" Mom yelled between gritted teeth.

"It gained us the edge we needed, Mortal," Frigg said, glaring at my mother with narrowed eyes. "Lodur had changed so much so that in order to beat him we had to make changes of our own. Of course, we didn't know it was him that had been changing things. We always assumed it was the Jotun. The first step was granting human women the use of magic all those years ago. We spent centuries watching over your family, knowing that the ones we needed would be born from the Le Fey line."

"You've been manipulating the family for that long!?" I gasped.

Frigg nodded and continued, "By seeing that both of you were transformed we were able to change your fates. It gave us an advantage we wouldn't have otherwise had."

"And Daniella?" Mom asked.

"Her contribution wasn't as great as yours, but without her by your side it would have been much harder for you," Frigg stated.

"What about Flint? You had a bargain with him. Now that's he's dead. What of that deal?" Mom asked.

"I always keep my promises, mortal. Always. There's something we have kept from the world. Men can use magic." Frigg stated.

"What? But if they can use it why haven't the been given use of it?"

Frigg shook her head, "Because there was no one around who could give it to them. Magic works differently for men and women. It comes from the same source, but it's like two different sides of the same coin. I can't use it, and I can't pass it on. Only a powerful male magic user, such as Odin may pass it on."

"And you're going to convince Odin to pass along the power to men?" Mom asked.

Hervor smiled and nodded her head, "It has already been done. My promise to Flint has been fulfilled."

"And what will happen to them? How will they learn to control their magic?"

"They'll have help. Just as early spellbinders did," she replied in a matter of fact manner.

"Now that our purpose has been fulfilled, what will we do with our lives?" Mom asked.

"You and Daniella are free to take whatever path you like, mortal. I'll even return you to your original forms if you desire," Frigg responded.

"But… Not me. I'm stuck with the life you and Hervor made for me," I said running my hand through my hair.

Frigg nodded, "I swore an oath to Hervor. I cannot undo what has been done to you. Your fate has been set in stone."

"So this is how it must be… I know of no way to break my bond with the Lejosá¡lfar. I'm stuck with them, and they're stuck with me," I said, feeling the weight of my statement bearing down on me.

There was no one to pass the bond onto, and somehow I doubted there was a way to remove it even with Frigg's help. The weaves that had created the bond were ridiculously complicated, and it would be like trying untangling a massive ball of knots, but it was far worse than that. Unweaving it was dangerous in the extreme, unravel it the wrong way or use the wrong amount of power and it could very well blow up in your face.

"I-I need to be alone!" I cried as I finally let it all set in and fled out the tent and into the darkness of the night.
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
I still couldn't hardly believe it… In just a few months time I'd gone from believing I was an ordinary teenage boy, to being transformed into a girl and becoming the immortal queen of the light elves. Then there was this business about me being a goddess. Physically I was still a half-elf. Of that much I was sure, but I was a goddess too. The very idea scared the frizz out of me.

"May I join you?" an unfamiliar voice asked from my side.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I swirled around to meet the gaze of a tall willowy woman with long silver-blue hair and unnaturally bright-blue eyes. She wasn't human, that much was pretty obvious, but I was pretty sure she wasn't an elf or goddess either.

"I apologize, it was not my intent to startle you," she said with a very slight tilt of her head.

I gripped my hand around the railing of the bridge and stared at her with my brows furrowed. "I'm sorry but who are you?"

"There is no reason to feel sorrow for me, young one. Among most I am known only as the Gray Queen, but you may call me by my given name, Alia."

I felt myself give a sharp intake of breathe. "The Gray Queen? But your… I mean you're not a faery!"

Alia nodded and smiled, "I am a halfling like you. My father was an exiled elf, my mother a water sprite. I was orphaned at a young age, and raised by the faekyn. I am a faery in spirit, if not in actuality."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you and I have many things in common, Queen Brynhilde."

"How do you know my name?" I said staring at her with wide eyes,

"Why should it come as such a surprise? Much of your story is well know. I have desired to speak with you for some time, and as a creature of dual natures I was able to recognize that same dual nature within you."

"Because I'm a half-elf."

Alia nodded and moved toward me, her hands gripping the railing next to me, "So much of this city has been destroyed. It seems so strange that this bridge would have remained intact among all this wreckage."

"I was born here, you know. Save for a short time in álfheim I've lived in this place all my life and now almost nothing of it remains," I felt tears start to form in the corner of my eyes.

"They will rebuild it. Humans are a resilient people," she said wrapping a delicate arm around my shoulders.

"I know, but I can't afford to be one anymore. I can't let my humanity get in my way," I stated suddenly. Frizz why was I telling her this?

"Can't you? Tell me Brynhilde, do you know why the Jotun sought to destroy humanity?"

I stared at her a moment in consternation, "They're enemies of the gods. They wanted to destroy all of the gods’ creation."

"Yes, but there is so much more to it. To understand their reasons you must understand who and what they are. They are vattir, and like all vattir they are limited by their passions. Dvergar for their greed, Lejosá¡lfar and exiled elves by their sexuality, Dokká¡lfar for their hatred, fairies for their love of nature, Aesir and the Vanir for their need to control and Jotun for their single-mindedness. The Jotun hated the Aesir because they had destroyed Ymir, their forefather. They fostered that hatred for eons because they could not move past it. It was a part of who and what they were. Over time that hatred extended to everything the Aesir had created, and eventually to the Vanir because of their alliance with the Aesir."

"I assume there's a point to all this?"

The Gray Queen nodded, "Yes, you are vattir, and yet you are not. Your human nature gives you the ability to move past your passions and become so much more than what you are. Do not be so quick to give up your humanity, it is a precious jewel. You shouldn't keep it locked away. You should display it proudly for all to see."

"Look around you, Alia, look at what has been done to this city. It was destroyed by humans! How am I supposed to be proud of that?!"

She shook her head, "All creatures have their darker sides. Look no further than the light elves. Within them is the capacity to become completely depraved of all that is good."

"So that means I should embrace my humanity?"

“Humans are not perfect. They have many flaws, but in one respect at least they are superior to vattir. They can move past their flaws, vattir cannot. Ask yourself, do you really wish to give that up?"

I bowed my head and closed my eyes. I felt Alia's arms slip away and when I opened my eyes again the Gray Queen was gone.
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
"Bryn," Eva’s soft voice said from out of the darkness.

"Hey…" I said turning to look her in the eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"It’s just… It’s finally starting to set in. I'm stuck being the queen of Lejosá¡lfar."

"Oh, Bryn… I'm sorry," she responded reaching up to touch my cheek.

"How can I be a queen to these people? I barely know anything about them. I don't even know their language well enough to hold a frizzing conversation!"

"I don't know, but I'll be here by your side every step of the way."

"As will I," said Garik appearing on my other side.

"How long have you been there, Garik?" I asked.

"Just as long as Eva," he said with an awkward smile as he scratched at the back of his head.

"You came looking for me together." It wasn't so much a question as a statement of fact.

Neither, gave an immediate response and I didn't wait for one before kissing first Garik, then Eva on the lips. I was still a bit squeamish about our odd love triangle, but the last lingering bits of my resistance were gradually falling away.

I had changed, I realized, and not necessarily in a good way. The Gray Queen had been right to caution me. I'd let my elven side slowly grow more dominant, and my humanity had started to slip away, but I couldn't allow that to happen. I couldn't allow myself to turn into Hervor's image of a perfect Lejosá¡lfar. I had to strike a balance between my two sides… Strike that, my three sides. I was after all, a goddess now too I reminded myself. There was nothing saying I couldn't embrace my humanity and my elven side too. And frizz, why not throw a little goddess into the mix too? If I had to be queen, I was going to be the sort of queen I wanted to be.

"Come on," I whispered with a weary sigh, "It's time for me to get to work."
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
It has been quite a journey. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the simple life I knew before it all began… And yet the more time I spend among the Lejosá¡lfar the more I come to care for them. That's not to say I've completely come to accept my predicament. I still resent what's been done to me, and I continue to writhe under the net that has been thrown over me. The elves are my people, of that much I am sure, but I will always feel separate from them. In many ways I'll always be human at heart, and I don't know if I'll be able to completely understand them, or they me.

Eva understands me better than any of them, and yet in many ways she is more like them than I am. She is, after all, technically a light elf now. It happened when the queen's bond was passed on to me. The weaves for the bond between us became tangled with those of the queen bond, and in that moment Eva effectively became an unwitting light elf. Eva doesn't seem to be bothered by this in the slightest. She insists that it's for the best. If she's going to spend the rest of her life with me it's only natural that she should become a light elf.

My weird romance with Garik and Eva has continued to bloom, and there already whispers among the people that it's time for us to wed. I don't know if I'm ready to take that step, but the thought of marriage really doesn't scare me as it once might have. The thought of being married to two people is pretty unusual to humans, but I'm working to get past that particular cultural constraint.

Ruling isn't at all what I might have expected, but the elves are an unusual people, so it stands to reason that ruling over them would be an unusual experience. I have a lot more free time than any human ruler might and yet there's one thing that bothers me. The elves have no drive to better themselves. They're content with who and what they are. They make use of no advancement, technological or otherwise. A human civilization would stagnate and decline under these conditions and yet the elves thrive. I think it's time I give the people a little push.
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
"Lord Freyr, I've been waiting for you," I said staring across the throne room.

He stormed through the room, climbed the raised platform where my throne was situated and came to stand just a few feet away, glaring down at me.

Heime, appeared at my side, his fist clenched around Gram in a defensive posture. Garik appeared beside my father with his own sword drawn, and there was a flicker of power nearby as Eva summoned up her magic.
"I've come for what is mine," he said, shaking with rage.

I looked up at him, traced my hand across the intricate carvings on my newly crafted throne, then calmly stood to meet his gaze.

"Freyr, the Lejosá¡lfar were never yours. The Vanir came as conquerors, and took álfheim with your superior powers. You were a brutal and merciless leader, and I cannot fathom why the exiled tribes love you so. I will not allow my people to suffer under your rule again," I said, pacing back and forth in front of him. My people, I don't know if I'd ever get used to calling the Lejosá¡lfar that!

"You speak of things you cannot possibly know! You usurped my throne! I will not stand for it!"

"Usurped your throne, Lord Freyr? For me to have done that it would have had to have belonged to you in the first place! You took what rightfully belonged to the light elves, and selfishly took it for yourself! I am not the usurper! You are!"

"You insolent little child!" He growled and suddenly drew his sword.

I let my magic flow through me and quickly constructed the all too familiar weave for a spirit shield just before his weapon bounced into it. Heime and Garik quickly moved in, and within moments Freyr had been disarmed.

Heime slammed his fist into Freyr's chest and sent the god tumbling to the ground at the base of platform.

"Dad," I said, quietly holding out my hand. Dad, that one felt a little weird on my tongue too, but I thought it would be far easier to become accustomed too.

I felt Gram's weight in my hand, then I calmly walked over to where Freyr had fallen and knelt down next to him. "I freed you from Helheim, and this is how you repay me? By trying to kill me!? You should be ashamed of yourself Lord Freyr. I thought the Vanir prided themselves on their honor!"

"álfheim is mine!"

"I swore an oath to my dying grandmother to keep the Lejosá¡lfar out of your grasp. The only way for you to get it is to kill me. Do you really think the light elves will welcome you with open your arms after you kill their queen? Father told me about your conquest of our world. The people resisted you for some time before submitting. Do you think it will be any different this time around?" I whispered holding the edge of the blade against his neck.

"It is mine!" he repeated.

"Then you will die," I said, my eyes locked onto his.

"You wouldn't dare!?"

I edged the blade closer to his neck and watched the tiniest bit of his blood trickle down his throat as Gram made a very slight cut into his flesh. "Are you willing to take that risk? Do you think there will be anyone to bring you back from the dead this time around? How many centuries did you languish in Helheim the last time?"

Freyr stared up at me for a moment with wide-eyes, then he started to laugh. "Freya told me you were a feisty one, but I believe that to be an understatement! I will leave álfheim to the light elves."

"And the exiled tribes?"

"Do with them as you will," he replied with a sigh.

"Good. Consider yourself absolved of your debt to me," I said, carefully removing the sword from his throat and stood over him with my hand out.

"Never could get used to elf maidens being so infernally strong," he grumbled as I pulled him back up onto his feet.

"I just wish I could get used to being a maiden," I replied.

"Your highness," a tall elven woman said seeming to appear from thin air.

"Sigvit, isn't it? How can I help you?" I asked.

She averted her eyes, "Yes, your highness. A patrol found a pair of humans wandering the roots of the Yggdrasil."

"A pair of humans? Are they here in the city?" I asked, feeling cold chills run down the length of my spine. It couldn't be, could it? After weeks of being missing, could Sam and Leif actually be alive?

"Yes, my queen," Sigvit said cocking her head to the side.

"Have them brought to the palace immediately. I wish to see these humans," I said feeling as if my heart might leap out of my chest.

Sigvit nodded and disappeared with a bright flash of light.

I turned back to Freyr, but found that he was gone.
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +

0_c.gif
I returned to my seat to wait. The throne was nothing like the one Hervor had used. Elves cared nothing for precious metals or riches of any kind, and her throne had reflected that. Mine on the other hand had been hand carved with elaborate designs of dragons and other creatures. Precious gems had been set into the eyes of each of the creatures and a gold overlay had been laid over much of the chair.

I don't know who was responsible for its creation, but the seat was one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I had ever laid my eyes on. Even with the gold and gems, the craftsman had somehow managed to keep it from looking gaudy. My subjects had gotten the idea that because I was half-human I had an appreciation for fine things. They were in the process of completely redecorating the palace-tree, and the few clothes that I had, had been replaced with ones made from the finest cloth. There was even talk of celebrating my nineteenth birthday when it came around next month. I suspected that either Heime, Garik, Eva or perhaps all three were behind these changes, but I had yet to confront them about it.

"Your highness!" Sigvit proclaimed, entering the throne room with two very worn figures trailing behind her.

"Bryn?" the taller of the two asked.

I jumped from my throne, ran across the throne room, flinging my arms around Leif and Sam in a hug and let out a pure squeal of delight.

"That's Queen Brynhilde to you!" I proclaimed with lopsided grin, and couldn't help but laugh as both Leif and Sam's eyes grew wide in surprise.
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +
0_c.gif
Bryn's Epilogue

Vordag, the seventeenth of Ylir

Garik's strong hands worked their way down my back and I let out a long sigh of pleasure. I'd had a rather stressful week dealing with the Seidskati, and Garik's back rubs had become a regular part of our daily routine since I'd learned I was pregnant. It came as real shock. Despite having the powers and abilities of a goddess, I was still biologically a half-elf and I was far more fertile than any other elf. Elven women, though much slower to reproduce, have the ability to control whether they could become pregnant. I didn't have that control, and because of that I had to suffer the results of my night activities. Once this child is delivered I think Garik and I are going to have a long talk about contraceptives.

At first, I'd had mixed feelings about the child, but after some soul searching I'd come to realize that a part of me really wanted it, while the other side was scared shitless by the idea of motherhood. My human side was especially terrified by the idea, and every time I looked at my pregnant self in the mirror I felt that fear rise to the surface, but I thought that maybe with Eva and Garik at my side it wouldn't be too bad. She was a girl, the magic of the elven healers told me that much at least, but I wondered how human would she be? Would she share my dual nature? Would her existence be a constant battle between her two halves as it had become for me?

"Is something the matter, my asynja?" Garik whispered in my ear.

I turned to look Garik in the face and smiled up at him. He seemed to find immense amusement in called me his asynja. At first, I'd found his pet name more than a little annoying, but over time it had grown on me.

"I was thinking about our child," I said, tracing my hand over my bulging belly and felt his love and warmth rise up through the bond.

He smiled down at me, but he never had the opportunity to reply.

"Another bad day?" Eva asked, poking her head inside the room.

Garik nodded, "Theodora has been raising a fuss again."

Eva nodded, "She doesn't wish to give up her power. I doubt she will ever come around."

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that," I replied with a huge grin on my face.

Eva came over and place her hand on her shoulder and looked down at me with accusing eyes, "What did you do this time?"

"I threatened to take her magic away," I said with a shrug.

"You really shouldn't antagonize that woman," she leaned down to plant a kiss on my lips.

I shrugged, "She's standing in the way of progress. If I'm going to help the humans form this new joint-ruled magical council, I can't have that damn woman standing in the way. She is a relic from an age that has come to an end. If she can't change her ways then she has no place in this new order. Men must have an equal say, or they'll be stuck repeating the mistakes of the past."

"I should probably tell you that Leif is waiting outside. He wants to speak with you, but after the last time he want to be sure that… How did he put it? Oh, yes, that you were 'properly clothed'," she said with a tinkle of amusement in her eyes.

I let out a soft chuckle and shook my head as I reached over to grab my blouse from the chair it had been draped across. Despite my resolution to maintain my humanity, some Lejosá¡lfar ways had begun to rub off on me and I'd almost completely lost my human sense of modesty. Elven modesty only extended to the outdoors, and that was mostly to protect oneself against the elements. Once indoors it was considered completely acceptable to roam about naked, even when you were a guest in another person's home. You saw this far less frequently within the palace-tree, but it still wasn't that uncommon an occurrence.

"Leif, I'm dressed. You can come in," I called through the entryway as I finished with the last button.

After, Leif and Sam had been lost in our descent into Niflheim I had given up hope that the two were alive, but somehow they had survived. Leif told me that they come awake near the spring of Urd and had survived off its water and small insects that inhabited the roots of the Yggdrasil. Initially, no one understood how or why he and Sam had been spared, but after some time we'd come up with a pretty interesting theory. We think the goddesses spared them. The Eddas spoke of two humans, a male and a female, that would survive Ragnarok by hiding within the roots of the world tree. What if Leif and Sam were those humans, and the goddesses had hidden them there in the eventuality that we wouldn't succeed?

"I came to say goodbye," Leif said with sad smile.

"You're not staying for the wedding?" Eva asked.

"No, I am, but I'll be leaving afterward and I might not get to see you. So I thought…" he mumbled trailing off.

"Say no more. So where are you headed?" I said.

"Back to Midgard. They're setting up a school for male magic users in Epegard," he responded.

I moved across the room and flung my arms around in a great big hug, "Oh Leif, I'm going miss you. Please, try to stop by and visit from time to time."

"You're my best friend, Bryn. Of course, I'll visit, but I kind of hoped you might visit me too… At least, whenever you're on Midgard that is."

"Of course. What about Sam? Will she be going with you?"

"Yeah, and believe it not that Matoaka lady has offered to take her on as an apprentice. It's weird, but apparently Sam's a descendant of hers from a really obscure line," Leif replied.

"That's great! Matoaka has a home in Nehrburg that's just outside Epegard. You two will be able to see each other whenever you want."

"Yeah, it'll be pretty great. Well, I guess I better get going. I still have some packing to do before I leave tomorrow. I hope your wedding goes well." Then he disappeared back out the doorway.

"You know… The wedding is in the morning. I think it's about time you get to bed," Eva said a moment later.

I shook my head and glared at Eva in mock indignation. It was one of the many drawbacks to being pregnant. Everyone had been treating me with kid gloves. Especially my future bride and my groom to be. Eva would never share any blood relation to the child, but she showed the same concern for the child's well-being as Garik. Of course, she'd been there the night the child had been conceived, so that might have something to do with it. Garik and Eva didn't love one another as they loved me, but once the two had stopped competing, their relationship had become much more amicable. They shared their bodies with each other when we made love, but I doubted they'd ever share their hearts with anyone but me.

"You were up half the night last night. You need to take care of yourself if you're going to deliver a healthy child," Garik chided.

"Fine, fine," I shook my head with a dramatic sigh.

"You know…" Garik said with the barest hint of a smile. "It's not really that late, and the wedding isn't that early. I think we could afford to have a little fun before bed."

"Fun you say? What exactly were you thinking?" Eva asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

I traced a hand across Eva's face and embraced first her then Garik in a deep kiss, "Oh, I think I can suggest a few things."
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +
0_c.gif
Aryanna's Epilogue

Siffendag 18. Ylir

I clutched at Daniella's hand, doing my best to keep my apprehension at bay. I had accomplished everything I had ever dreamed of since learning of Ragnarok, and yet nothing I could have done would have prepared me for this. Bryn was getting married.

Elves had no temples or churches, because they had no gods to worship. So the marriage was being held outside in the foothills surrounding the city as all marriages in Dagdedar were held. Thousands of Lejosá¡lfar, along with a handful of human guests had gathered for the occasion to watch the new queen be wed.

I took a look at that beautiful girl and I have a hard time believing that she was ever my son. Yet, there's still a lot of Neil in Brynhilde, whether she realizes it or not. When I learned she was getting married, I believed she was making a mistake. She was only nineteen for Frigg's sake! She was too young, and she wasn't just marrying one person she was getting married to two! To further complicate matters she was six months pregnant with Garik's child. The very idea seemed appalling to me and my human sensibilities. Then I realized something: Bryn wasn't human, not entirely, anyway. As strange as that relationship was to me, Garik and Eva made my daughter happy, so I held my tongue and kept myself from saying anything. Bryn’d had a terrible burden placed on her shoulders, and she would spend the rest of her life, and potentially all of eternity as ruler of the light elves. She would need the love and support of both Garik and Eva to help maintain her throughout the eons.

I felt Daniella squeeze my hand. I looked over at her and smiled. Frigg had offered to return us to our original forms, but we had both declined. We had been in these bodies now for many years, and we'd grown accustomed to them and to each other. Before our transformations we'd both been heterosexual men. While we cared and loved each other deeply, we didn't care to test the limits of that love.

We couldn't understand any of the ceremony, as it was all being recited in the Elvish language, but as we were both included, we had both been advised on what to expect. Bryn, Eva and Garik were standing in a triangle facing one another. Daniella and I, Heime, as well as a man and a woman who were Garik's parents stood in a circle around the trio. There were no priests or anyone to officiate as the three spoke their parts.

Each were supposed to name what they felt were the others greatest strengths and greatest weaknesses, which probably explained why Bryn looked so embarrassed and humiliated as her two lovers finished what they were saying. The elves believed that if a marriage was to last, that it must be tested from the very beginning, so that the bond between those being wed would be forged to become stronger than steel.

When it was Bryn's turn to speak, she turned to Garik, and I saw his eyes widen with shock and surprise and a pleased smile crept onto his face. Her grasp on the Elvish language, while still imperfect, had become good enough that she could hold a conversation and be understood. Slowly the smile turned into a frown and he lowered his head in shame and nodded in understanding.

When it came Eva's turn, she eyed Bryn thoughtfully and threw her head back and laughed as Bryn listed her weaknesses. Eva was odd, even by elven standards, but considering what she used to be, that really was no surprise.

Finally, they each repeated the words, 'bundr allilá­fu,' separately and then together. They kissed and turned to the crowd and repeated 'bundr allilifu' one final time before there was a flash of light and the three disappeared with the light of Bryn's travel spell.

Daniella turned to me and smiled thoughtfully, "So what now?"

"I don't know," I said, squeezing her hand and shaking my head. I'd never intended to have a child, but doing so had brought a completeness and fullness to my life that I never would have expected, and now that she had moved on to a new life I didn't know how I would cope.

"You know, our lives are going to be empty without a child in our home," her words mirroring my thoughts.

"I was just thinking the same thing," I replied back.

Daniella kissed me lightly on the lips, "There are so many children who have been orphaned by this terrible war. Maybe we could adopt a few."

I place a hand on either of her shoulders and kissed her back, "I think I'd like that."
0_c.gif

+ - + - + - +
0_c.gif
The End

Comments, no matter how short, are very much appreciated. If you liked this story please take a minute to leave a review. Criticism is welcome, but only when presented in a constructive and positive manner.

As my other stories this is a work of fiction and as such any resemblance to real life individuals events or locations is purely unintentional. Only Fictionmania, Bigcloset Topshelf, & tgstorytime.com have permission to post this story and my previous works unless I state otherwise.

Shout outs go to the following people: Beyogi, Maggie Finson, Loki who served as either alpha and/or beta readers, The Rev. Anam Chara who helped edit some of the dialogue (spoken by the characters Hervor, Heime & Gilda) to more accurately reflect Elizabethan era English and last but certainly not least Holly H Hart for her superb editing prowess.

AttachmentSize
File Destiny_by_DAW.epub844.76 KB
PDF icon Destiny_by_DAW.pdf1.88 MB
up
111 users have voted.
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos! Click the "Thumbs Up!" button above to leave a Kudos

Comments

A great ending to a wonderful story.

It's goo to see that Bryn is adjusting as well as she is and that she was "rewarded" as well as she was for her services, although I'm sure that she would rather have her grandmother and the other people that she cared so much about still with her.

This is truly an epic story you've spun for us here, D.A.W, and I'm really looking forward to seeing whta else comes out of your imagination. ^^

Peace be with you and Blessed be

Thankya

Daniela Wolfe's picture

I'm glad you liked it. Hopefully my future stories will meet everyone's expectations.


Have delightfully devious day,

Spellbinder

Very nicely done

Congratulations!

What a fantastic saga! I'm sure that you are both relieved and apprehensive. You're relieved that it's over; you're apprehensive because it's over and you're mentally exhausted.

Enjoy a well deserved respite from your efforts. And, come back strong with another of your delightful tales.

I loved it, and I'm looking forward to more.

Red MacDonald

Respite...

Daniela Wolfe's picture

Well I haven't really done much writing, but I have started a new story. Progress has been slow, but I think I may have solved an issue that was causing me some trouble.


Have delightfully devious day,

I'll echo Loki here.

The writer, not the god, lol. This story was epic in both scope and character. I've read it twice and will likely read it all again in time.

Magnificent!

Maggie

An epic tail

This was one of the most rewarding stories I've read in a long time. It truly was epic in scope and the emotions it triggers in it's readers.

Thank you so much for writing this, allowing us to watch your baby grow. I will always wonder what is next for Bryn, but I know she is capable of whatever the worlds throw at her. =]

Thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou =]

Sara

epic tail?

Daniela Wolfe's picture

When I first saw thought I thought it said 'epic fail' I'm certainly glad I was mistaken!

As I always say there's no need to thank me as my reasons for writing are entirely self serving. Thank you for the comment!


Have delightfully devious day,

Destiny was a fun edit, too

I had the first ten parts of Destiny all in one lump before editing any of it, but I held myself to doing 2 chapters at a time, so even if I got to them a bit faster than everyone else, I still was in just as much suspense, wondering where it was all going.

It's quite a take on the Norse legends, mixed with a transgender theme, 'modern' technology of sorts, and a magical theme not mentioned in the original Norse legends.

I really enjoyed it.

On Nov 30, one of the Kindle Buffet books was 'Loki' by Michael Vasich, but I didn't post anything about it here, so as not to telegraph the ending of Destiny. I did let DAW know about it, however.

It's not the same story, but does have some similarities. However, it will cost $3.99 to order it now.

Holly

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Holly

Thanks Holly

Daniela Wolfe's picture

That means a lot coming from you! Thanks!


Have delightfully devious day,

A true Saga!

In the Norse meaning of the word! :) The mixture of myth, steam-punk, and TG themes were masterfully done. I've read more than one commercial book that were far less ambitious than this that failed to come even close to how good this is.

Oh, the joy of a writer when they reach those last two words ... The End! Oh, how sad it is for the reader to do the same.

Well Done DAW!
hugs
Grover

For me...

Daniela Wolfe's picture

Well, you've gone and made me blush! High praise! Thank you!

Hmmm... I don't know if I what I feel when I finish a story can be considered joy. There is a sense of sanctification at finally being done, and I do feel quite relieved but I'm also a little sad as I've become completely entrenched in the story.


Have delightfully devious day,

Destiny - An outside reader's opinion

Excellent effort, well played and presented. I heartily recommend this e-book (or when in print then the printed version) to everyone who likes fantasy, magic, and a mix of past, present, and future all rolled into a multitude of races who have been eons-long enemies, or compatriots.
The downside? Well, that took a little thought.... I would like to see the next three volumes. Perhaps as an Anthology which combines them and the histories of the various races explaining why each took the positions on the field that they did. Now, the time of rebuilding is nigh for all who participated and with the Queen’s history being what it is, that rebuilding may become more than just a physical thing.

Congratulations on a story well written, well presented and characters who were properly played in all respects.

Floyd Crumley (T.B.)

The above was given to me to attach as a comment.

Anesidora

Tell Mr. Crumley

Daniela Wolfe's picture

Well, Ms. Pandora ;) if you could relay my gratitude to Mr. Crumely it sure would be appreciated.

All that being said this story is not something I ever intend to publish.


Have delightfully devious day,

I loved the story

but I have just one nitpick. When Freyr attacked and was thwarted you used the word unarmed however unarmed is a state of being the word you should have used was disarmed as his weapon was taken away disarming him. Other than that I loved the story and I'm kinda curious as to the strengths and weaknesses.

Bekah

Whoops!

Daniela Wolfe's picture

Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it.

That's been fixed. I tend to mix up words that start with the prefixes 'un' & 'dis' among other things.

If I might ask, which strengths and weaknesses are you referring too?


Have delightfully devious day,

Strengths and weakness's

The ones they recited to each other in the ceremony. As part of their vows

A big duh on my part

Daniela Wolfe's picture

Well, that one's a big duh on my part. *Facepalm*

I really wanted to leave that up to the reader's imagination, but if you were to PM me I think I might be willing to part with that information. ;)


Have delightfully devious day,

Destiny: Legacy of a Spellbinder

Elsbeth's picture

Enjoyed it thoroughly, of course I'm a fan of the mythological so perhaps I am a bit biased. Still good work.

-Elsbeth

Is fearr Gaeilge briste, ná Béarla clíste.

Broken Irish is better than clever English.

EPIC

I don't know what to say. This was wonderfully written. A true epic. I don't know how long you have been writing, but this is
movie grade material. Keep on writing. A happily ever after even. They don't (read: CAN'T) do this in movies anymore. GREAT STORY.

Great and Epic story!

One of the problematic troubles with TG literature is that the plot usually revolves around the transformation of the protagonist, which lessens the weight of the story itself.

In this case, the story overwhelms the transformation and makes it just a plot device, to the betterment of the story as well.

Great job, believable characters, amazing attention to detail. In short, a truly epic tale told by a master(Mistress).

Thank you to everyone who had a hand in bringing it to us.

Huggles and Happy Holidays,
Catherine Linda Michel

As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script. Y_0.jpg

pet peeve

Daniela Wolfe's picture

Yes, that's something I've tried really hard to avoid with this and the other stories in the series. I didn't want to the plot to be dependent on the transformation of the character.

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. Yes, thanks to all the folks that helped me get this story off the ground.


Have delightfully devious day,

I have been looking

For this story for a few weeks now. I read it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it at the time. I've read several of the other postings by D.A.W. and stumbled across this one. I have really enjoyed all that I have read so far. I can't wait to see what is next either in this universe and in the others you are writing in. Thank you for all the hard work and dedication it takes to make these stories so enjoyable to read and come alive.

Thanks

Daniela Wolfe's picture

Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it! It always brings a smile to my face to see someone comment on an older story (well comments make me smile in general, but that beside the point!)

If I might make a suggestion, you might enjoy my Ragnarok Shorts flash fiction collection as those stories are set in the same universe as the Ragnarok Rising Trilogy. Also, you might enjoy my sci-fi epic, Battle For Earth, which I'm currently serializing.


Have delightfully devious day,