They were much slower than he would have preferred.  Himchan flapped hard to keep himself ahead of the mages while he carried Zelo beneath him, his hands hooked under the young man’s arms.  In turn, Zelo was gripping to his forearms tightly, doing his best not to look at the ground very far away beneath them and all Himchan was worried about was the path ahead.  It would have been much faster if they’d have just agreed to travel with him as any normal Einherjar but no…  His own Einherjar insisted upon defying him.

                If times weren’t so dark, he would have been more offended by their betrayal but right now, he had greater concerns to worry about.  Like saving his brothers, one way or the other.  It was a miracle Daehyun hadn’t died already and he had no idea how Jongup was, but Himchan had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as they headed for the direction of the Bifrost.  Humans couldn’t see it and even Einherjar had a hard time making it out, but to any divine being, it was clear as day in the sky.

                From the world of Midgard, it looked like an undulating wave of pastel rainbow colors and the fact that he could see it gave him hope that it wasn’t yet closed.  He had no doubt it would be guarded but if it was open, he could at least buy them time.  With a glance over at Youngjae and Dara, both of whom were keeping a very measured distance between them, their attention never wavering for long, Himchan sighed and looked down at Zelo instead.  “Zelo,” he called, just loud enough to grab the warrior’s attention.

                Confused, Zelo looked up, his face unusually pale but determined.  “Ne?”

                “If Heimdall is at the Bifrost, I will need you to lead the mages,” Himchan admitted with solemn sincerity.

                “Eh?” the young man blinked, taken aback by the Valkyr’s words.

                “None of you can match Heimdall, but I can buy you time to find the body we need,” he explained, holding the brown eyes below him to make sure the boy understood.

                “But… how will we know where to go?” he asked, still shaken by the task that had been set before him.

                Himchan’s mouth quirked into a smile and he hefted Zelo up so they were nearly face to face, the position awkward and uncomfortable.  “Hold still,” he instructed while Zelo cringed as Himchan pressed their foreheads together, passing a visual imprint of the path they would need to follow if the Valkyr could not join them.

                “Hey!  What are you guys doing?” Dara asked with a furrowed brow when she noticed them first, immediately dragging Youngjae’s attention to them as well.

                Easily, Himchan lowered Zelo down again as the younger boy shook his head, blinking rapidly to clear his distorted vision.  “I’m preparing him.  That is all,” the Valkyr explained, setting his sights on the Bifrost again, thankful it was illuminated even in the failing light.  Nightfall would soon be upon them, a state they would have to expect in Asgard as well.  “Hurry!” he instructed, feeling a dull ache finally beginning in his wings.  Young though he may be, with his weapon and armor, Zelo wasn’t exactly light and Himchan wasn’t used to carrying anything more than his own weight.

                Neither mage argued with him.  Instead, they slowed down and pointed ahead, squinting before them.  “Is that it?” Youngjae asked excitedly, floating swiftly on Himchan’s heels with Dara right behind him.

                “Ne.  The Bifrost,” Himchan nodded.  “Stay close,” he encouraged, soaring into the undulating light that enshrouded him with a familiar warmth he had not felt in far too long.  For the briefest of moments, he closed his eyes and savored the feel of it, aware of Zelo beginning to panic in his grasp, even as the boy was awed by what he saw.

                “Himchan!” he shrieked, tightening his hands on the Valkyr’s gauntlets.

                Gasping, Himchan opened his eyes when the warmth fell away and he saw the extended bridge reach before them, his gaze alighting upon Heimdall who barred the way, golden armor gleaming even in the light of the rising moon.  Setting Zelo down first, Himchan floated to the ground behind him, briefly losing sight of the god, though he had no concern the other would strike first.  Heimdall was among the more honorable of the gods and far less prone to rashness than several others.

                The Valkyr pushed the taller Einherjar out of the way and stepped forward, gesturing with his hand for the landing mages to stay back and be silent.  “Do not interfere,” he warned them in a quiet whisper.

                “Master Himchan,” Heimdall nodded his head respectfully, never dropping his stormy blue eyes from the Valkyr.  “Lady Freya has been looking for you.  She requests your presence on the fields of battle,” he explained, standing his ground where he was, alabaster skin practically glowing from the opening of his helmet.

                The hall of Valhalla rose brilliantly behind him, its glory cast in the final light of the sun, though it was already past the horizon.  “I am not here upon Freya’s orders,” he explained, taking another step towards the god.  It was possible Heimdall may have believed a lie otherwise, but he was not so dishonorable as to tarnish his name with a falsehood either.

                Heimdall’s hand drifted to the broadsword strapped across his back and he gripped the hilt but made no move to draw it yet.  “Then what is your business here, Valkyr?” he demanded in a firm tone, eyes narrowed under the edge of his helmet.  Full plate mail kept the majority of any distinguishing features hidden in a suit of gold, but Himchan knew well it would not impede his ability to fight.

                “My own,” he answered simply, taking a deep breath as he stilled the nerves in the pit of his stomach.

                “Daehyun is gone, Himchan,” Heimdall reminded him gently, his tone filled with remorse for the loss of the Valkyr.  He shook his head with a degree of sadness as he regarded the mortals behind him.  “And you bring a forsaken mage to the very doorstep of Valhalla.  You know I cannot let you pass.”

                “I know,” Himchan nodded in understanding, holding his right hand out where a gleaming, black scythe appeared.

                “Do not try to fight me, Himchan,” the god beseeched calmly, reluctance in his tone.

                “You could just step aside,” the Valkyr suggested, grabbing his weapon and drawing it close, readying himself.

                “You know I can’t,” Heimdall actually chuckled, finally drawing his sword with a mere whisper of sound, hefting the heavy weapon in front of him as if it weighed nothing, the polished blade bright and the hilt simple, but sturdy.

                “Ne,” Himchan nodded with a small smile pulling at his lips.  In a burst of wind and black feathers, the Valkyr flung himself forward, crying out, “Zelo!  Go!”

                He didn’t have time to worry about whether they listened to him or not, or if they were foolish enough to try and stay.  All he could do was brace himself when Heimdall leaped forward to meet him, their weapons crashing together in a sound akin to thunder.  His arms shook under the impact and he gritted his teeth, wrestling with the strength of the god before he tore himself away, more than well aware he was no match for his strength in a prolonged bout.

                Their weapons gleamed in the space between them, leaving echoes of images where they once were as they fought, accompanied by sparks and more loud crashes that pained the ears.  For just a moment, Heimdall moved as if to head towards Valhalla but Himchan flung himself into his path, blocking the taller god so that the blade of his scythe actually curved near his head.  “I am your opponent,” he growled through clenched teeth, arms shaking at the effort needed to keep his weapon steady.

                “I do not wish to fight you, Himchan,” Heimdall reminded him tensely, kicking the Valkyr in the gut so that they could break apart before he swung his sword at the recovering male.

                “Gyah!” Himchan gasped, blocking the attack though he found his feet sliding over the surface in his defense.

                “But I will if I must,” he explained in a solemn tone, retracting his blade to swing again.

                Panting, Himchan dodged enough to deflect the attack, flinching under the reduced impact as he guided the weapon away.  Following through with a backwards spin, he swung his scythe at Heimdall’s knees, grunting when a painful shock reverberated through his arm as the god met it with his sword.  Squatting low, he met Heimdall’s eyes and waited for the next attack, holding his wings tight against his back as he rolled under the horizontal slash and managed to kick the god in the torso with both feet as he planted his hands on the ground and shoved.

                Grunting at the successful hit, Heimdall stumbled back a step and nodded in concession of his ability.  “Not bad, Valkyr.”  Himchan exhaled forcefully and took another deep breath, feeling his pulse race as he his lips.  “But you know that is not enough to defeat me.”

                “You know as well as I do that neither of us really wants to do this,” Himchan snorted, shaking his left arm out as he readied his weapon again.

                “True enough,” the god nodded, though it did not slow his attack as he advanced upon the Valkyr again, driving Himchan back with a series of rapid and powerful blows that he only narrowly managed to deflect or dodge.

                With stubborn determination, Himchan bided his time, gathering strength enough to retaliate in some manner.  He watched Heimdall’s attacks, learning his moves in the process, though he did not remember the god being this strong.  Had it been so long since last they sparred?  “Gyah!” he growled, taking the full force of the next attack as he used its power to sling him back, creating space between the fighters that Heimdall quickly sought to bridge.

                Immediately, Himchan pivoted and flapped his wings, drawing himself out of the direct range of the tip of Heimdall’s sword, though he felt the blade rip through the armor at his side, scoring the flesh within as it nicked a rib.  Groaning against the pain, he took to the air while Heimdall regarded him impassively, irritated by his flight but otherwise ready for anything.  Taking a deep breath, the Valkyr flared his wings and drew power into himself, pulling it from the very world around them, taking on a dark blue glow as he did so.

                “You would dare don the mantle of the Dark Valkyr against me, Himchan?” Heimdall asked in a completely serious tone, deeply offended by the tactic.  Glowing dark blue eyes focused on the god from under the full helm and Himchan simply looked at him in mute agreement.  “Very well then,” the golden armored god nodded, readying his weapon once more.  “Come if you dare.  Dark Valkyr.”

                “Yah!” Himchan roared, streaking towards the god in a blur of residual energy and feathers, crashing into him with force enough to drive the other male back a few steps.

                Gone was the friendly banter and reluctant blows of old friends facing off against one another.  As they clashed this time, there was nothing but deadly intent when their weapons clashed, the piercing sound reverberating through the air, barely fading away before another strike was attempted.  They were little more than a blur of motion as they traded blow for blow, dodging when able and deflecting as best they could.

                Himchan scored a glancing blow on Heimdall’s helmet, tearing a gash into the protective surface, while the god drew a line up the Valkyr’s left arm, biting through the corner of his shoulder.  When Heimdall captured the hilt of Himchan’s scythe under his arm, he elbowed the god in the face and then caught his sword arm, holding firm to Heimdall’s wrist as he strove to keep the other from using his weapon against him.

                Heimdall freed the trapped weapon under his arm and grabbed the shaft with his left hand, overpowering Himchan’s attempt to stop him as he punched the bar towards the Valkyr, catching him across the nose guard hard enough to bend the metal, crumpling it against the bone.  “Ack!” Himchan gasped, his sight blinded by involuntary tears as pain pierced the bridge of his nose, sending him stumbling back in a desperate attempt to buy time enough to recover so he could properly defend.

                He felt Heimdall’s sword grab his scythe and twist it out of the way, though Himchan clung to it grimly.  In a defensive, foolhardy maneuver, he flapped his wing to distract the pursuing god and cried out as the blade severed it with ease, sending him lurching to the side, off-balance and severely disoriented.  Blindly, he swung the scythe and was nearly born to the ground when it was countered by a powerful downward slash.  The gloved fingers of his right hand became trapped under it when Heimdall stepped on the weapon, holding it in place, and he cried out in defiance as a hand gripped the top of his armor, holding him steady while something sharp pressed against his throat.

                “Yield, Himchan,” the god whispered darkly, his eyes flashing as the Valkyr was finally able to see, albeit in a blurry manner.

                He gasped for breath as his eyes traveled up the edge of the sword that pricked his skin and swallowed hard.  “I cannot,” he trembled, watching anger wash over Heimdall’s face at his response.

                “I do not wish to kill you, Valkyr,” Heimdall reminded him, though he leaned more of his weight on top of the scythe and pressed the tip of his sword harder, causing a thin trickle of blood to seep from the cut.

                “For Daehyun’s sake, I cannot yield!” Himchan yelled back, his left hand clenched into a fist as emotion filled tears spilled over his lashes.

                “Himchan…” the god sighed remorsefully, adjusting his hold on the hilt with reluctance.  They both froze though, blinking in surprise as the dim light they were bathed in suddenly blinked out followed closely by a mournful cry.  Together, both looked up.  “Mani,” Heimdall gasped, eyes wide though he did not release the Valkyr.

                “And Sol,” Himchan murmured when they heard a distant but echoing feminine cry.

                “Ragnarok,” the god exhaled heavily, his head dropping almost to his chest.

                “Daehyun,” Himchan whispered worriedly as he looked back towards the entrance to the Bifrost.  “Heimdall.  I must get back to Midgard,” he pleaded, grabbing the god’s wrist imploringly as he made no other move to get free.

                “You are needed here, Valkyr,” the golden armored god reminded him sadly, though his grip loosened slightly upon Himchan’s plate mail.

                “Himchan!”

                Together, the god and the Valkyr looked over to the side to see Zelo sprinting towards them with his weapon at the ready, face twisted in a fierce battle grimace.  “Zelo!  No!” Himchan screamed, nearly choking when Heimdall kicked him away and turned to address the Einherjar with a dark look in his stormy eyes.

                “Get back, you!” Dara challenged, raising her scepter high as she cast a rain of fire in front of Zelo, pelting the oncoming god with her spell.

                Heimdall swung the weapon up, extinguishing the flames with a mighty wind before he closed with Zelo.  The broadswords clashed and while Zelo’s didn’t shatter, his arms buckled under the power and his own weapon crashed into his chest, knocking the wind from him even as it saved him from being cut in twain.

                Himchan watched as Zelo tumbled like a ragdoll, grimly clinging to his weapon but otherwise completely dazed while Heimdall focused on the mages.  “Hurry up, JaeJae!” Dara shouted while Youngjae struggled under the weight of the tattered wolf body over his shoulders.  Relief warred with panic as Himchan realized they’d found it.  “Yah!” Dara screamed again, leveling a bright beam of prismatic light at the god, standing her ground while she maintained it.

                “No…” Himchan gasped, picking himself up with the scythe in his hand.  Zelo was starting to stir but the Einherjar were no match for Heimdall.  None of them were.

                With ease, the god sliced through the spell, parting it on either side of him as he walked towards her.  “Be gone, forsaken mage!” he spat, swinging his sword fast enough that she could not react, disrupting her spell and cracking the orb at the head of her scepter.

                “No!” she screamed, both at her weapon being ruined and then because she was faced with an angry, powerful god.

                “Move you idiot!” Youngjae yelled, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of the way before he raised his scepter in turn.  “Valkyr’s Judgment!” he intoned, trembling at the strength needed to cast and maintain the spell.  Massive white wings appeared between him and the god while the ghostly apparition of a faceless Valkyr formed, gleaming white sword held in front with both hands.  Needing no further command, it surged towards Heimdall who met the apparition head on.

                It wasn’t going to last.  Himchan shook his head, knowing the apparition was going to fail.  And when it did, Youngjae would die.  “Idiot,” he growled, throwing himself forward with the one good wing held tight to his back.  Hold on.  Just hold on a little longer.

                The apparition flickered, its power waning.

                Wait.  Please.

                Youngjae screamed when the spell failed, shattered by Heimdall’s strength.  “No!” he cried, backing up though he knew it was no use.  Youngjae raised his scepter and turned his head, vainly trying to ward off the blow as Heimdall swung his sword down.

                “NO!” Himchan snarled, swinging the head of his scythe up under the strike, catching the blade against his weapon as he hauled the sword away from Youngjae.  Using all his strength and both hands, he drove the tip of his scythe into the ground with Heimdall’s blade still caught beneath it.  In the blink of an eye, he felt searing pain lance across his gut at the god’s sword traveled under Himchan’s defense and sliced him open through his armor in one blinding, smooth .  He choked when Heimdall stood upright and gripped his throat in his offhand, keeping him from falling.

                “It didn’t have to come to this,” the god reminded him, still remorseful at the outcome.

                Himchan tasted blood in the back of his throat and he hooked his fingers into the chink at the top of the god’s armor, struggling for breath through the pain.  “Don’t you have a god to kill,” he hissed in a trembling voice through clenched, bloody teeth.

                Heimdall smiled sadly at him before he glanced at the Einherjar who stood nearby, seemingly frozen in place with horrified expressions on their faces.  “You have changed, Himchan.  There was a time you would not have cared what happened to your Einherjar.”

                “Desperate… times,” he gasped in return, choking on the blood that continued to clog his throat.

                “Indeed my friend,” Heimdall nodded once, letting go so that he could pry Himchan’s hand free, holding it tight as the Valkyr used it to keep himself standing on shaking knees.  “Hurry.  I cannot keep it open for long,” he explained with a glance towards the Bifrost.

                “Thank you,” Himchan coughed in a broken voice before he reached for his Einherjar.  “Zelo.  Youngjae.  Dara,” he panted, stumbling to the side with the aide of his scythe, the weapon reduced to little more than a crutch.

                “Himchan!” Zelo gasped, sliding automatically into place like he’d done often enough before under his Captain’s command.  He pulled the Valkyr’s arm over his shoulder and looped his own around the shorter male’s ribs, supporting him with his strength.

                “Hurry,” the Valkyr gasped with a weak gesture towards the mages, eyeing the body still laying over Youngjae’s shoulders.  A thought banished his one remaining wing and the scythe, sending them away so he could recall them later.  “Ragnarok has begun,” he explained, half-walking and the other half letting Zelo drag him towards the Bifrost entrance.

                “There’s no time to waste then,” Dara nodded, taking the lead as she jumped into the Bifrost with no hesitation, cradling her ruined scepter close defensively.

                “Go Youngjae,” Himchan urged, mustering enough strength to keep Zelo from walking them through ahead of the other mage.  He had to make sure they were all clear first and he blinked hard when Youngjae actually saluted him before disappearing before his eyes.  Gasping for breath that was hard to find, the Valkyr glanced over his shoulder and nodded his head once at Heimdall who continued to watch them with a neutral expression, sword sheathed once more.

                As they shuffled to make that final step, a rumbling vibration reached their ears before the bridge started to tremble beneath their feet.  “Yah!” Zelo yelped when the surface beneath them began to shake harder, sending both men tumbling into the Bifrost awkwardly.

(a/n: Gyah!  I didn't mean to hurt Himchan like that.  Not initially anyway.  -_-  Keep in mind that Valhalla itself is mostly empty at this point with the majority of the forces getting ready to meet the Jottuns so it's not impossible that the Einherjar were able to manage their task.  And if anyone is at all familiar with Norse mythology and the prophecy of Ragnarok, you will know what Himchan's comment to Heimdall about killing a god is about.  Even if you don't, we'll get to it eventually so sit tight!

We'll pick back up with Jongup in the next bit and get set for the final stretch from there!  Though, I warn you now: the Einherjar in Asgard are taking part in a war.  People die.  And in Ragnarok, gods die too.  We know this.  Just be ready.  Anyway.  Thank you for reading and I hope you look forward to the next update!)