Youngjae and Zelo sat side by side, their legs crossed in front of them while they simply stared at Daehyun who had his eyes closed and appeared to be meditating.  “He’s been doing that for a while now,” Zelo murmured into Youngjae’s ear, scratching his dark hair quizzically.  His sword lay on the ground beside him but still within easy reach.  It was just too long otherwise to be seated with comfortably on his person.

                “Ne.  Maybe he’s just looking for more Einherjar?” the mage suggested, watching the slight twitches on the Valkyr’s face though the rest of his body remained motionless.  Of course, he hadn’t actually had to mediate on the ground before but perhaps it was more comfortable?  He didn’t have his helmet on so it was nice to actually get an unobstructed view of him for a change though.

                Youngjae had always been curious about the Valkyrs.  Not exactly obsessed, like Dara was, but they were something he’d never thought he’d meet or especially travel with.  And here he was; an Einherjar in the company of an actual Valkyr.  Obviously, he’d prefer to have been in Himchan’s company since he was the eldest and likely the most knowledgeable but Daehyun was definitely an acceptable second.

                Forbidden to go to Valhalla for whatever cursed reason, he’d still seen more in his brief time with Daehyun than he ever would have in decades as a simple mage.  By the gods, he’d actually met Seunghyun.  Who could really say that with any amount of truth?  Not only that, but he’d also actually seen both Odin and Freya.  They were both everything and nothing like how he’d expected from his brief conversations with Elli and he wasn’t sure what to feel about that.  He’d always heard that the Valkyrs were their servants but… the gods were really bossy with them.  And they never questioned it as he would have.  In the Academy, one’s dissent was expected and helped to foster growth in the student and professor.  That didn’t seem to be a major point here…  Personally, he found it extraordinarily odd.  Certainly they’d had to heads at some point.

                He jerked slightly in surprise when he noticed Daehyun looking at him with one eye cracked open.  Youngjae grinned and waved, wondering if he was done with meditating yet.

                “Must you think so loud?” Daehyun asked instead, slightly perturbed.

                “Eh?” Youngjae muttered, glancing at Zelo to see if perhaps the younger boy was the one he was speaking with.  When the Valkyr’s gaze didn’t stray from him, he asked, “You can hear me?”

                “You’re my Einherjar.  Of course I can hear you,” Daehyun responded, opening his other eye as he stretched from his seated position.  “Maybe not all of your thoughts but I know when you’ve got something on your mind.”

                “Well…” Zelo started to say, his hand raised in silent inquiry.  “I think we’re both just wondering what we’re doing sitting here.”

                “We’re waiting,” Daehyun answered with a quick shrug.  “I was unable to gain any additional information from Seunghyun and have yet to establish contact with my brothers or the gods.  Besides…  This lack of communication makes me think that something is wrong.”

                “Wrong?  How so?” Youngjae asked leaning forward and resting his hands on the ground before him.

                “I don’t know,” the Valkyr shook his head and frowned.

                “Shouldn’t we maybe head back then?  I mean, if it’s something bad enough we should really go check to make sure.  Odin wouldn’t be angry with you for that, would he?” Zelo inquired as he craned his neck back to look up at the sky.  He wasn’t entirely sure how to go about getting to Asgard from here since he’d only seen the others sent but he knew there had to be a way.

                At Daehyun’s thoughtful expression, Youngjae grinned and clapped Zelo on the shoulder.  “Yeah!  We can make sure it’s not something that we can’t help with and if we’re really not needed, then we can just come back.”

                “But neither of you are supposed to be in Valhalla,” Daehyun reminded them with a glance between the two.

                “Feh,” Youngjae waved his hand dismissively.  “Just because he told us not to go doesn’t mean that he might not change his mind once we’re there.  And besides, if he really doesn’t want us nearby, he can just send us back.”

                “Exactly!” Zelo backed him up as he bounced excitedly in place, very much looking forward to the possible endeavor.  “Come on, Daehyun.  It’s so much better to actually do something than just sit here waiting.  I mean.  What if we can help?  Wouldn’t that be better?”

                Daehyun glanced down at the ground again, covered in grass and green as could be; beautiful and completely unrelated to his own dilemma.  He didn’t argue their reasoning but he was nervous too.  What might they find if they did go?  That was perhaps more frightening than not knowing at all.  He didn’t think Ragnarok would have started yet but what if the Jottuns had broken through the lines?  What if they hadn’t sent word because they simply couldn’t?

                Were Himchan and Jongup alright?  They had to be since he hadn’t felt anything else from either of them since that moment in Seunghyun’s castle.  But that didn’t mean they weren’t in danger.  What about Yongguk?  His jaw tightened at the thought when he realized he had absolutely no way of knowing whether the Einherjar was alright or not.  What if he was hurt… or dying?  His brow furrowed at the question and he shook his head.  Not that it mat-

                Hold on Yongguk!  We’re almost there!

                Daehyun gasped, his sight swamped by a new vision that promptly overtook his current reality.  There was something heavy on his back with long limbs wrapped around his chest and squeezing firm.

                I’ll be fine, the deep voice whispered in his ear, laced with pain, though he could feel the warm breath whispering past his lobe and disturbing the strands of hair against his cheek.

                He just nodded and tried not to glance down at the bloody mess that was Yongguk’s leg as it dragged behind them, his hands holding to the arms around his chest and the one good leg, making their pace awkward and ungainly.  He wasn’t tall or strong enough to carry the other boy completely, but he could hold the majority of his weight.  Now if only he could see around the tears blinding his vision.  I’m sorry, Gukkie.

                It’s alright, Daehyunnie.  It wasn’t your fault, Yongguk gasped through gritted teeth.

                I’m so sorry.

                The vision faded considerably slower this time and left Daehyun feeling more shaken than he cared to admit.  Still staring at the ground, he blinked several times.  A wild pig.  He didn’t know how he knew it or why it was even important but he knew that Yongguk had been injured by a wild pig.  Doing what?  He’d been… protecting him?  The fool…  But had that really been him too?  It was the first time he’d heard his name in a vision…

                “Hello?  Daehyun?” Youngjae asked, snapping his fingers in front of the Valkyr’s face as he peered at him on all fours.

                “We’re going,” Daehyun surprised them both by announcing as he stood up quickly, surprising Youngjae into falling backwards.  His eyes closed partially when the unsettled feeling didn’t go away and a headache threatened.  “Come on,” he urged calling their souls to him without a pause.

                “Hey!” they yelped at the same time, caught off guard by the unexpected change as they disappeared into the Valkyr’s person.

                “If no one will contact us, we must see for ourselves,” he explained simply, calling his wings and taking to the air as fast as possible.

                Yes! Youngjae cheered while Zelo laughed with him, both delighted at actually doing something.  The Einherjar were overjoyed to be moving in a forward direction, even if they didn’t know what that entailed.

                Daehyun kept his thoughts to himself.  It wasn’t that they weren’t right, because they were.  And it wasn’t that he didn’t worry about his brothers, because he did.  Or that he might be disobeying a direct order from Odin, since he was.  He just couldn’t help the fact that every time he closed his eyes for more than the time it took to blink, after the vision he’d just experienced, all he could see was Yongguk’s face.

                Most of the images were recent and he could place them in the time that he’d actually been with him since recruiting the man as his Einherjar.  But every now and then… one would slip through of a young Yongguk.  Smiling.  Laughing.  And even crying.  It was absolutely stupid and ridiculous, but he needed to know.  As much as he needed to know his siblings were alright, he needed to know Yongguk was too.  And the more he thought about it, the more he felt something inside shifting… changing… weakening…

                “Odin!” Freya cried, hurrying through the halls as she rushed to find the All Father.  “Odin!” she shouted again, clutching the necklace firmly in one hand, wiping at the fading scars on her face in annoyance.

                She’d spent longer than she should have trying to puzzle over why the cursed Yongguk would try to free Loki and waited to tell Odin about the attempted escape.  It didn’t make any sense to her and he’d been busy with speaking to Himchan anyway.  There was no point in interrupting him since she’d already taken care of the matter.  Just to be on the safe side, she wandered to the bottom of Valhalla where the waters of Yorun’s bounty flowed over the edge and fed one of Yggdrasil’s roots, her journey interrupted once by Loki’s pained struggles.  The spring followed the root feeding Mimir’s well but it was a drastic drop none the less.

                The rushing waters at the bottom of the falls bore no trace of the three she had fought with.  Nothing was left of them or their treachery and heading down the flowing waters provided no additional evidence to the contrary.  Whatever Loki had hoped to achieve in sending them over the edge, she felt confident that he had failed, which was to their benefit to be sure.  She was tempted to throw the necklace in the waters as well but something stayed her hand.  Instead, she returned to Valhalla, intent upon speaking with Odin once more.

                That became considerably more necessary when she felt the seal within Daehyun weakening for no apparent reason.  “Answer me, Odin!” she yelled loudly, her voice echoing off the halls of Valhalla.

                “I am here, Freya,” he announced on the other end of the hall, striding forward with a stormy expression.  “I feel it too,” he forestalled her words with a raised hand before he caught her arm and pulled her along, dragging her with him towards the Eye of the Gods.

                As they walked, she tried to give him what else she knew.  “I have more news, my lord.  I apprehended Yongguk and his two friends trying to free Loki just this morning.”

                “What?” Odin actually paused to regard Freya with a steely blue eye.  “And what of them?” in inquired quietly, holding to her arm.

                “Perished.  They fell over the edge and I have found no trace of them, my lord,” she ducked her head respectfully, having a hard time meeting his gaze.

                “And you are telling me this just now,” he spoke the words as a statement rather than a question.

                “I did not wish to bother you with such trivial things,” she admitted with her head still bowed.

                “Enough,” Odin sighed, tugging on her arm once as they resumed their trek.  She remained silent in his wake and bit her lip nervously as they approached the Eye of the Gods so that Odin could call upon Daehyun’s figure.  Agitatedly, he waved his hand before the surface and brought it to life, conjuring the Valkyr’s image almost immediately.  “Daehyun.  Report,” he growled staring into the surface as he noticed the Valkyr was flying… and it looked as if he was heading for the Bifrost.

                Daehyun pulled up short and remained standing while he stared at Odin, seemingly surprised by the unexpected appearance.  “My lord,” he nodded his head once and collected himself with a small shake.  “I was unable to apprehend Seunghyun.”  It was the only thing he could think of on short notice.

                “Who?” both Odin and Freya inquired at the same time.

                “The Lord of the Undead.  He goes by Seunghyun now,” Daehyun explained, fidgeting in place nervously and for all intents and purposes distracted.  Likely by the very Einherjar he still carried within him.

                “A pity that,” Odin murmured, waving off the lack of information there.  “I am more concerned about why you appear to be heading for Asgard and why you have sent traitors loyal to Loki to serve in our war.”

                “What?” Daehyun asked immediately, very much confused by the accusation.  He wasn’t entirely sure which to answer first.  “I had heard nothing from above and was returning with no further commands.  However, I have not sent any sort of traitor to serve you, my Lord.”  That was utterly preposterous.

                “Then why were three of your most recent Einherjar seen attempting to free Loki from his imprisonment shortly after his capture?” the All Father demanded softly, single eye narrowed in a warning manner.

                “I don’t… I don’t understand, All Father,” Daehyun shook his head, more than baffled since he had been unaware that Loki had been cornered at all.  “Who are you speaking of?”

                “My Lady Freya stopped Yongguk from his treachery along with his two friends.  I would have you explain the meaning of this,” Odin growled between his teeth.

                Daehyun felt his heart sink and his mouth suddenly became very dry.  “That’s… that’s impossible,” he stated softly with a shake of his head.  “Yongguk would never do such a thing.”

                “How do you know, Valkyr?” the god inquired evenly.

                “I just know!” Daehyun snapped in return, shaking at the absurd claim.  He flinched when another snippet of a vision hit him.  We have to go now.  “Please.  I would speak with him, my Lord.”

                “You cannot,” Odin shook his head without explanation.

                “But-”

                “Freya,” Odin gestured towards his wife and the goddess stepped into view holding something in her hand.

                “I stopped your Einherjar from freeing Loki just this morning,” she explained, holding the Valkyr’s gaze steadily.  “We fought and they fell over the edge of Valhalla.  You cannot speak with him because he is dead.”

                Daehyun’s mouth fell open slightly and his eyes blinked several times before he forced himself to swallow and shook his head.  “That cannot be true.”

                “It is,” she stated softly, finally raising her hand to show the necklace which had hung about Yongguk’s neck before she’d torn it free.

                “No…” the Valkyr murmured, unbelieving in the truth of her words even as he stared at the friendship charm.  Made of nothing more than cheap and rather worn metal, it was wound together skillfully and he recognized it as a token for good friendship and love.  “It can’t be.”  He knew he’d seen it around Yongguk’s neck once before in the necromancer’s cave.  And there had been another time…

                “Believe it,” Odin interjected, resuming his focus on the image as he stared at the shaken Daehyun.  “You will not return to Valhalla yet.  Your task remains the same.  To find and gather Einherjar for Ragnarok.  The battle approaches soon and we have no more time.  Forget Yongguk and his treachery and resume your duties Valkyr.”

                “I…” Daehyun tapered off, unable to fully finish what he was trying to say.

                “You are still beholden to me, despite the failures of those you have recruited.  As such you will obey my command, Daehyun.”

                The power in the god’s voice shook Daehyun and he pulled his shoulders back, trying desperately to clear his head so that he could think straight again.  “What of my brothers, my Lord?” he asked softly, fervently seeking another source of distraction.

                “Both are here in Valhalla and will resume their duties shortly,” Odin explained with a curt nod.  “You need not concern yourself with their status at this time.  Now go.  You still have much work to be done,” the All Father stated firmly, pointing at Daehyun.

                Still reeling from the news, Daehyun nodded hesitantly and finally bowed his head in dazed agreement.  “Yes… Odin.”

                The god and goddess watched as their Valkyr stepped away from the image and finally waved the image into nonexistence once more.  “It will not last much longer my lord,” Freya urged with some worry.

                “I am aware,” Odin admitted with a troubled expression.  Both grimaced when they felt Loki’s influence shudder through the hall and Odin in particular sneered.  “I haven’t the time to address him personally.  The front lines need my attention now before Loki’s spawn break free,” he explained simply, clasping Freya’s head in his hands in a gentle, tender gesture.

                “My Lord.  Don’t go,” Freya urged, covering his hands with hers.

                “I must.  Stay safe here, my Lady.  I will call for you should the need arise,” Odin explained with a tentative smile, pressing his lips gently upon her forehead.

                Freya bent her head in unwilling but quiet acceptance and nodded, refusing to relinquish her hold upon his hands.  “And if it breaks while you are absent…?”

                “You already know what to do, Freya,” Odin reminded her, tilting her head so that she could look at him directly.  “We face the end of our time love.  With you by my side, I am not afraid.”

                “Nor I, my love.”  Freya smiled and carefully stood up on her toes so that she could press her lips to Odin’s gently, sharing a tender and sweet kiss.

                “Stay strong, my lady,” he smiled, chuckling in the back of his throat as he pressed his forehead to hers.  She nodded in mute agreement and let him go reluctantly, her palms sliding against the backs of his hands as he pulled away.  “Forseti!” Odin called in a rumbling tone filled with power before he vacated the room containing the Eye of the Gods, leaving Freya behind.

                “And you as well, my lord.”  Taking a deep breath, Freya nodded to herself and smoothed her hair back, careful of the tiara already entrapping the majority of it against her scalp.  If she understood correctly, neither Himchan nor Jongup had been sent away and were still at her disposal.  If the youngest was awake, as she was inclined to believe, she would need to speak with both of them very shortly.

(a/n: So... do you think Gukkie is dead or not?  And if so, is there the chance that he can be revived?  I'm curious to what your thoughts might be so if you're inclined to give an answer, I'd love to hear it.  Seriously.  ^_^

As always though, thank you so much for reading and especially for those of you who comment.  You really do make the time spent writing more enjoyable.  Thank you!  <3)