A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

Impossibility

– T A Y A H –

It wasn't long before the brown haired immortal found me again and dragged me through a portal. I took in our surroundings quickly and found the water dry up in my mouth.

"A desert?" I looked at her flatly.

"Indeed, I shan't have one of my apprentice's in a comfortable environment. This is about challenge." She told me as she walked a few steps across a vast and flat plain of cracked and dried earth. Dust swept up in the baking sun. I was told I could not die in Valhalla from such things other than immortal power but still...

She took up a firmer stance and cast her palm forward. Her dark armour still shone in the dust and on her gauntlets. A ring of immortal energy fused into a portal between us.

"Your most useful tool to navigating Valhalla. This does not come from your elemental but your energy as an immortal Valkyrie. It must be called out from this and cast into focus."

It sat burning a white ring before us and I stared. Then it vanished.

I raised my palm and tried to call on such energy. But my fire elemental simply blazed in my hand. Astrid shook her head and stepped closer to my burning palm.

"Do not think of it summoning from your hand but from yourself. Your hand is simply the exit of energy to formation."

"Yes that is so much clearer now." I drawled resisting an eye roll.

She merely smiled and nodded missing the sarcasm entirely. I focused my power once more trying to move it from out of my chest to the space before me. Suddenly my skin was alight with flames and licking past my dark tunic that did not burn.

She shook her head and moved to stand beside me. She raised both hands and let them drop to her sides exhaling as she did. Then set her stance and drew a hand forward.

The ring appeared again.

"You see?"

"Immortal, you realise the only difference was you letting out a breath and drooping your shoulders. This does not explain much." I deadpanned.

This time she moved a hand to my shoulder and I resisted the urge to flinch. The gesture was nothing more than a hand but it felt intrusive all the same. Then I felt her own hot energy pass through me and my eyes grew brighter.

"Try now, immortal."

I had no response other than to raise my hand and watch as a bright ring fused before us with a crackle. I grinned at the thing marvelling the portal. It was not yet large enough to step through so I focused our combined energy until it was wider, wider still and brighter–

It exploded before us and threw us off our feet with a loud bang.

My head rang like a bell and the desert blurred before me. I coughed and rolled onto my side to see Astrid unaffected and offering her hand to me.

"You–expected that?" I choked out.

There was no amusement on her features. Merely patience.

"The fire elemental is more destructive and unpredictable. This is also why I chose barren surroundings. It is also easy for me to absorb."

At this she cast two fingers into the sky and released what I assumed was the explosive energy moments ago into the sky. I watched in awe and got to my feet dusting off my tunic.