Valdis had guess Adam would wake up furious with her for not telling him where she was going but had decided to slip out anyway to not only avoid anyone finding out about her insomnia but to also start her mission to recruit the help of several other dead people who were dearly missed. Grimm had warned her against it, warning that she could get lost, but she brushed aside the guardian's concerns and stepped into the lighted tunnel a clear picture of a small white house in a forest with a little garden set in her mind. The paradise became what she'd pictured, which had come from Henry's tale a few months back about where he had found his wife's body. She looked around in wonder at the sight, sure Ingeras' paradise had been great but this one seemed to radiate a peaceful atmosphere, like it was a timeless piece of treasure brought to life.
"Who are you?" A woman's voice spoke up quietly, yet strongly, from behind her.
Valdis turned around to look at the young blonde who looked to be in her early thirties. "Abigail?"
"Yes, who are you?" Abigail repeated as she walked around Valdis. "You're not familiar, yet you know how our world works..."
"I'm Henry's friend, Valdis, I came to see if you wished to see him again." She replied wearily watching Abigail.
"Could I?" Her eyes brightened at the thought. "I've missed him so much, you know we were going to move into a house that looked like this before I died."
"He's missed you too, never moved on from your death, but I'm sure he'll be happy to see you back again." Valdis turned back the way she came. "Follow me, I have one other person to pick up first."
Abigail caught up with her as Valdis paused to close her eyes and picture a place similar to Jo's apartment, when she opened them again the two of them were standing in a place that resembled the living room only a bit... messier. She stood there examining the place for a bit before going to the kitchen to find a man looking in the fridge.
"Sean Moore." Valdis called his name to get his attention.
Sean looked up and glanced between Abigail and Valdis in confusion. "Can I help you?"
"Only if you want to come back to the world of the living and see Jo again."
"Jo..." Sean's eyes got distant as if remembering his wife. "Is she okay?"
"Jo's fine, she even became a lieutenant recently..." She saw the look on his face. "Uh, no... don't worry, she still hasn't met anyone else she wanted to marry, that won't be the awkward part."
"What will be the awkward part?" Abigail raised her eyebrow as the two stared at Valdis.
Valdis gave them exasperated looks. "You're both supossed to be dead but if you come with me you'll be alive again."
"Aren't you dead?" Sean leaned back against the fridge. "I mean you don't look like one of us, not an Underworlder either, so... what are you?"
"Half-ling." She replied simply. "Of a mortal and non mortal."
"Amazing." Abigail looked at her with an interest that reminded Valdis of Henry when he had asked to study her.
"Yes, yes very interesting but if we're going to reunite both of you with your loved ones we need to go before someone finds out what I'm doing." Valdis ushered them back to the living room while picturing Grimm's cavern.
A few minutes later she looked around and saw Grimm glowering at her. "I'm warning you, do not make the gap between living and dead any bigger."
"I'm not, this is just two people, that's it." Valdis responded as Abigail and Sean looked around the cavern. "No one else."
"Fine." Grimm growled lowly before flicking his ears towards the fire lit tunnel. "Demons... Get them out."
Valdis gave a look of confusion for a moment before hearing the sound of scales scrapping against rock along with a steadily growing hissing noise. "Abigail, Sean, go through that portal, I'll be there soon... wait for me."
"It takes us back to the living world?" Sean asked as he led the way to it.
"Yes." Valdis took out a dagger as she faced the path to the Underworld. "If I'm not back in twenty minutes go to Abe's Antiques, Abigail knows how to get there, follow her."
The snake headed demons arrived seconds after the two went through the portal. Valdis scanned the tunnel as the sixth came out but no more showed their scaly faces as they raised their curved white swords with burnt looking edges to strike her. Grimm stood on his paws and flashed two mouths full of sharp teeth at the demons but they ignored it, unfazed by the two-headed wolf's display of power.
"Valdis, go. I can kill them." Grimm's disembodied voice told her as he crunched one snake demon in his jaws.
"I owe you a favor for letting me bring the other two back, I'm not leaving you to fight alone my friend." Valdis grinned and slashed at one serpent while blocking a second's strike.
Grimm didn't reply and with the two of them working together soon had all but one defeated. The snake demon cowered back, knowing it was done for before letting out a shriek that made Valdis cover her ears. Then a large rumbling sound filled the cavern as a giant serpent slid into the small cave, its fire red eyes burning into them, as more of the snake demons poured in with it. Valdis took out a second dagger and started fighting again, ever conscious on the fact that the other two where waiting on her. Grimm could be heard fighting the giant serpent as she took care of the demons, which were getting fewer in number as she mowed them down with her blades. She turned around to look for her next opponent when pain flashed through her until she sank to the ground, giving her opponents time to gang up on her.
"Move!" Grimm commanded as he tore at the large serpent's throat.
"I-I can't." She stammered as the pain paralyzed her.
"You have to, the others are waiting. I can finish off the rest."
Valdis forced herself to her feet only to be knocked into the wall by the serpent's tail as it went onto a thrashing frenzy in a desperate attempt to save its life. She could now feel blood running down her side and neck from where the serrated scales had cut her along with a burning sensation that followed soon after. The demons began to close in as they sensed her weakness but were cut down, by who she didn't know because the pain and fatigue where dragging her into unconscious, but she did know it wasn't Grimm.
"Why did they get this far?" The male asked as he finished off the last snake demon.
"They sense the weakness in the portal between here and the living. They're trying to get free but nothing gets past me." Grimm told the war dressed figure.
"Good luck then, I'd better get her to safety."
"Good luck to you as well... Monster Slayer." Grimm nodded his heads in farewell as the warrior picked up Valdis and went through the portal.
YOU ARE READING
Burning
Fanfiction(Sequel to Undying) They thought it was over. Two months prior Valdis and Adam had managed to defeat the vampire army and Master Vampire himself. But what happens when people who are dead begin coming back into the real world and not just because th...
