Post by Lord Caelum Lupus on Apr 8, 2004 1:35:49 GMT -5
"Follow me and I shall lead ye tae victory, the damsels shall sing of our
legend, and the children shall play as our names.
My brothers and sisters follow me intae the valley of death
and we shall dine in the Halls of Valhalla by nightfall"
-Caelum Lupus
Between God and man there is a step on which the one leads into the other, where we see the Divine Being brought nearer to things of earth, and human strength glorified. The older the epic, the more does it require gods visible in the flesh; even the younger cannot do without heroes, in whom a divine spark still burns, or who come to be partakers of it.
Heroism must not be made to consist in anything but battle and victory: a hero is a man that in fighting against evil achieves immortal deeds, and attains divine honours. As the gradation of ranks the noble stands between the king and the freeman, so does the hero between God and man. From nobles come forth kings, from heroes gods.
Chapter 2.
Of Gods and Men
Valhalla is huge, it's vastness barely touched by the walk from Caelum's room to Valaskjalf, the Hall of Lord Odin in which he sits upon his throne Hlidskjalf and watches over the 9 worlds. In his mortal life, Caelum had been a king, he had traveled through many realms, explored other dimensions, traversed through the Umbra but nothing his noble green eyes had ever seen compared to the wonders held within Valhalla. The whole place was bustling with noise and activity, warriors clad in all sorts of armour battled fiercely as valkyries watching and cheering from the sides. Standing at the entrance of Valaskjalf with his guide the famous valkyrie Skogul he could not help but feel nervous as he was about to meet an elder deity, the father of his own God Fenris. Looking to Skogul, he was calmed by her peaceful presence, taking a breath he waited silently.
"We must wait until we are called upon." Skogul spoke with little emotion. She looked to Caelum and noticed his unease, she grinned. "Don't worry....the All Father only kills half the Einherjar whom he meets...."
Caelum's face flushed at her words and he looked to her quickly. Noticing her grin he realized she was joking and he chuckled.
"Ach, ye had me for a moment there..." Looking to the giant door. "I have never met a God before..."
"Ye'll be fine. Just be yerself, the All Father has known of ye since yer birth." Skogul, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly.
"Skogul! Sister!" A valkyrie was swiftly making her way through the crowd towards them, as she grew closer Caelum noticed that she had the same blonde hair and striking blue eyes, although the new valkyrie's hair wasn't braided.
Skogul, turned at the call of her name and she smiled to the newcomer.
"Gondul! It is good to see ye" Skogul stepped forward and gave her a sisterly hug. As they broke the embrace, Gondul's blue eyes looked over to Caelum, she grinned with a mischievous light in her eyes.
"Mmmm, he cleaned up nicely Sko...." The valkyrie slipped past her sister, and with seduction in her movements she neared Caelum. Her hand touching him on his shoulder, then seductively tracing his jawline as she made her way around him. "Yes indeed, he did clean up nicely..."
Skogul's brow raised and she spoke with slight sternness. "Gondul...Not now..."
Just at that moment the giant doors creaked as they began to open and the whole place came to a swift halt and a sudden silence as all eyes turned to look as the doors to Valaskjalf opened. For rare was the honor of an Einherjar to be admitted within.
Taking the first steps forward Skogul followed closely by Gondul and then by Caelum as they strode into Valaskjalf and approached the throne of the All Father. As the giant doors closed behind them the training of the Einherjar continued.
Inside the throne room were many gods and goddesses all in their own right known for strength, beauty, wisdom, valor and yet they too stopped what they were doing to take a look at the Einherjar who would meet Odin.
Skogul reached the throne first and knelt down bowing her head to the mighty one seated above her. A few feet behind her Gondul and Caelum knelt as well, heads bowed in reverence. With her head still bowed Skogul broke the silence.
"Hail Odin, All Father of the Gods and Lord of Asgard. I yer Valkyrie Skogul bring forth to ye the newest of the Einherjar Caelum Lupus, the one whom's presence ye requested. As ye requested, so forth have I obeyed."
A loud chuckle was emanated from above as Odin spoke.
"Rise my children, today is a joyous day! Let there be solemnity and order at a later time." Odin was a very large man, though not rippling of muscles immense power could be sensed from his stocky frame. His dark hair was as wild as his beard which was great. In his right hand he carried the giant spear Gungnir which never missed it's target. Seated on either side of him were the great wolf demigods Freki and Geri whom were his personal guards. The benign deity looked to Caelum and motioned him closer. "Come, Caelum Lupus of the Einherjar. I have heard of yer mighty deeds from thy God Fenris. Ye have found favor in his eyes and so ye have in mine."
Caelum who had risen when Skogul and Gondul had, looked to Odin. He was speechless but stepped closed as the All Father motioned him. Clenching his right hand into a fist he pressed it on his chest over his heart in a salute as he bowed in respect. With strength behind the tremendous respect in his voice he spoke.
"My Lord. How may I serve ye? Name it and I shall obey."
"OHOHOHO!" Odin laughed heartily, and slapped his knee. "Forgive me, but I don't think an Einherjar possesses the strength to take on the tasks of a God no matter how brave he may be! Training for Ragnarok is yer task, I need an army to fight for the realms on that day"
"All the same m'Lord if training for Ragnarok is all that ye ask of me then I shall do it with my all until the day comes. But if there is anything more that ye wish of me, ye may feel free tae command me tae dae sae, I feared naething in m'life on earth and I shall fear naething for the rest of m'days." Caelum's green eyes shined with a light from inside, there was strength in his words and the truth of his conviction was evident to all. Skogul and Gondul were watching silently in awe at the spirit of the Einherjar they'd been assigned to carry into Asgard.
"Very well, then Caelum Lupus. I shall remember these words. Ye may be held to them someday." Odin nodded as he spoke, inwardly he was smiling for he truly loved the human spirit. "But for now train with the Einherjar. Collectively they have millennia's worth of knowledge in the arts of warfare and of battle. Even the greatest of warriors can learn something new every day and so shall ye."
The giant doors began to open again and that was the cue for them to leave and the gods and goddesses went back to what they'd been doing. As he followed his valkyrie guides out of Valaskjalf, Caelum caught the gaze of a large muscular God who stood off to the side, with long golden hair and a golden hammer in his hand there was no mistaking who he was. Thor, the God of Thunder, half human son of Odin gave him a solemn nod of respect which Caelum returned with even greater respect, one warrior to another.
As the doors of Valaskjalf closed behind them, Skogul looked to Caelum, Gondul had come up beside him and was hanging onto him, her head resting on his armoured shoulder, arms draped around his neck. Skogul rolled her eyes slightly at Gondul and spoke.
"Well, Caelum ye have been honored greatly this day, as the days to come will become such the same that ye lose track of them ye must remember that this day. Come now, let us outfit ye with a sword so that ye may begin yer training."
And the three of them made their way through the vast and bustling crowd of sparring warriors and beautiful valkyries in search of a sword for the man who had spoken freely with a God.
