From a hill whose summit escaped Ragna’s and Altera’s view, torrents of water rushed to the ground and flooded it. The two stood on a pewter stone path that barely provided enough space for them to walk on it. It winded through the water and split into multiple branches, transforming the sea into a collective of ponds. Out of each lake jutted a bamboo pole.

On top of the center spring’s bamboo pole, Quin balanced her body. She stood on one leg and shifted her body into another position as if she performed combat moves. Like the ocean waves, she transitioned from each fighting stance, displaying neither hesitation nor abruptness.

Ragna had her eyes glued on Quin.

Even if Quin hadn’t displayed her battle prowess yet, there was no doubt that she possessed strength and grace. She had heard rumors about Utgard’s Samurai and their codes. They weren’t Valkyries, but they embodied similar ideals and codes of conduct – Just like everyone else. The Valkyries had the ‘Havamal’; the Samurai followed the ‘Bushido’; Avalon’s Knights adhered to ‘Chivalry’, the Paladins believed in Virtus; and Kemet-Raa’s Kaliphs had the ‘Arkan’. How naive she was to dismiss the other kingdom’s codes as propaganda.

Ragna looked at Altera, who had spread her wings and hovered above the water. “Any idea where we’ve ended up this time?”

“This is a natural resort deep in Utgard’s rainforest. The kingdom's near an inactive volcano called Mount Yama, so there are many hot springs here.”

“But this is a waterfall.”

“This is more like a nature reservoir for sightseeing. The water's actually cold here.” Altera pointed at the hill in the distance. “The hot springs are further up. People say that Twice has blessed the waters to cure the mind.”

“Seriously?”

“It’s not that powerful, but it helps with things like stress. And it’s good for your skin.”

Quin stopped her movements and looked at the two. From one pole to the next, she jumped and landed in front of Ragna and Altera.

“Marvelous, isn’t it?” She bowed her head and pressed her fist against her palm. “Not a day passes when I do not stand in awe at Utgard’s wonder. I'm curious why the tower chose this location for the level. Perhaps it fitted this task. Or perhaps…” Quin took a step forward and caressed Ragna’s cheek. “It’s a world that sprung out of you. Your subconscious manifest as a metaphor from reality. Doesn’t it look beautiful?”

Ragna gulped, unable to avert her eyes from Quin’s figure.

Quin was wearing a crimson dress. A golden garnet with many circles decorated her left shoulder like a medal. The dress didn’t have any sleeves, and only crimson gloves that ended on her wrists covered her arms. Her costume had a jet-black printing, depicting koi, waves, spider lilies, and lotus flowers. It hugged her body and opened her chest in a bird line that connected to a red choker.

She was sure. If she were a guy, she would be drooling all over her. As a woman, she had more elegance than that, but if Quin were to ask her out, would she be able to say no?

Altera drew out her partisan and pointed it at Quin’s throat. “We’re here to fulfill a task. The sooner we start, the sooner we can continue our journey.”

“Altera’s right.” Ragna straightened her posture and dispersed the thoughts from her mind.

Her journey had made her question everything she previously held for true, and her sexual orientation had become more ambiguous, but this wasn’t the time to ponder about it. She was on a mission for her future as well as Altera’s and Eric’s.

Quin held her hand before her mouth and chuckled. She leaned forwards and pressed her tongue against the tip of Altera’s partisan. Blood formed on the pink texture and ran down the metal. If Quin’s action disturbed Altera, she didn’t show it. She hardened both her expression and the grip on her weapon.

Quin drew her tongue back and smiled like a fox. “My, my. I just wanted to give some praise. But you’re right. You’re here to fulfill a task.” Quin’s smile disappeared, and she crossed her arms. “In Utgard, we have a rite-of-passage for girls who’ve reached twenty. For most, it’s rather festive, but for those women who wish to wield a blade and fight for Utgard, it’s more…intense.”

“So, what do we have to do?” Ragna asked. “Fight you?”

“You have to defeat me in battle. Besides, as Altera's of Utgardian blood, she would have to do this anyway. Even if she’s three years too late.”

Altera raised her head, and looking down at her sister-in-law, she blew her nose. “I’m a proud warrior of Midgard. I would never betray my kingdom.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s more of a coming-of-age ceremony. But it’s such a shame.” Quin pointed at her dress. “I even prepared a ceremonial kimono for you to match mine.”

“See it this way. We gotta win anyway, and your brother has less reason to stop our journey,” Ragna said as she tried to ignore the image of Altera wearing the same dress as Quin.

Altera withdrew her weapon.

“Say, Ragna. We should recite the first stanza of the Havamal.”

“Why?” Ragna looked to the side.

Should she do that? Did the ideals of the Valkyrie still apply to her? If she recited it, wouldn’t it be hypocritical?

“It’s fitting. We can never forget that we’re Valkyries. We live and die by their ideals. Especially if we consider the nature of this trial.”

But even so, for Altera, she would do it.

Ragna drew her saber and pointed it at Quin. “With my blade.”

Altera’s face glowed ad smiled from one cheek to the other. “With my spear."

“Shields will be splintered! Cattle die, kin die, we ourselves die, also,” in sync, the two shouted. “I know one thing that never dies: the honors of all the dead."

“What was that?” Quin tilted her head.

“It’s the Havamal, the words of the high one.” With her free hand, Altera held her fist in front of her chest. “They’re the ideals of the Valkyries: How we ought to behave; how we ought to lead our lives; what is proper conduct and wisdom. It is our philosophy, Allfather Odin had manifested as poems. We just recited the first stanza and the most important pillar of a Valkyrie’s being. One day we’ll die, life may be meaningless, but our deeds will remain in this world. As such, we’ll live our lives with honor. For that’s all that will be left. For that’s all within us with meaning.”

“How fascinating. “Quin’s smile vanished. She jumped backwards, and with her black slipper-like flat shoes, she stood atop the bamboo pole behind her. Towering over the challengers, she looked at them. “Then let’s fight till the very end; till our bodies give out and our souls break down.”

Performing a series of backwards flips, Quin returned to the bamboo pole in the spring’s center.

With her hand, she told the two to attack her, but Ragna and Altera didn’t move. Out of Quin’s earshot, they faced each other.

“What are her abilities?” Ragna asked.

“She knows martial arts.” Altera’s eyes observed the landscape. “But beyond that, I’ve no idea.”

“So, what shall we do?”

Altera spread her wings. “We have to get her away from the poles and make her fight on even ground.”

“Yeah.” Ragna nodded. “Trying to fight her on these poles would be a hassle.”

“Let that be my concern. Just be ready once she's lost that advantage and attack her on the ground.”

“ ’Kay.”

Altera dashed into the sky towards Quin. She summoned an arc made of icicles, and with a hand movement, flung them at Quin.

“Same old trick as always, sis.”

Quin held a tessen – a metal fan as long as her forearm. Its white sheet showed the violet painting of a legged serpentine creature with a lion’s head. Quin blew her tessen, and wind razed through the air. It stirred the water in the pond. The icicles stopped in their tracks and dropped. Immediately, Quin blew her fan anew, and the falling icicles shot through the air like bullets back at Altera.

The wind cut through Altera’s cheek, and her feathers ruffled through the air, but Altera didn’t stop. She activated the Fehu rune and stormed towards Quin, avoiding all icicles in the process.

Altera swung her partisan, and Quin parried it with her fan, holding it like a sword. As Quin wouldn’t budge, Altera dashed backwards and let go of the force. She flew around Quin until she found a new vantage point and thrust her partisan. But with a quick kick, Quin had changed the trajectory.

“I’m disappointed, dearest sister-in-law.” Quin increased the pressure against the metal. “All this training, all these fights, and you haven’t improved one iota since you first found your Fylgja.”

Altera didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed her weapon downwards, pressing it against Quin’s sole.

“No. It’s not just that. You handi-“

Ragna cut with her saber through the bamboo pole. Quin lost her balance as she swept the stick away from her feet and fell.

Quin stretched her arm. Grabbing the pole’s lower end, she circled it and jumped on the stone path.

She straightened her back and looked at Ragna. “You’re certainly different from the girl Drake had mentioned. Much stronger. Much dirtier. I like that, but…” Quin moved aside and evaded the slashes of Ragna’s blade. “You still have much to learn. You should have attacked me while I was falling or when I landed. I was defenseless.”

“Then, watch me learn.” Ragna swung her blade again, and Quin evaded the attack when ice sprouted out of her saber. It pounded against her ribs, and Quin splashed into the nearest pond.

Ragna stomped her boot against the stone, and ice spread out into the pond, Quin had fallen in. But Quin jumped out before the frost could catch her.

She landed on the stone, shaking the water away.

“Better.” Quin rushed towards Ragna. She raised her leg and kicked her in the stomach.

Ragna coughed. Spit and acid ran down her mouth, and her stomach began to turn. The world around her tumbled as nausea and pain pulsated inside her abdomen. Quin lunged out her leg for another kick, but Altera grabbed Ragna with one hand, and Quin hit the air. With the partisan in her other hand, she attacked Quin.

In response, Quin ducked. Altera passed her by, and when her body was directly above her, she rammed her closed fan into Altera’s stomach.

Altera coughed, and before she could react, Quin grabbed her skull. “I would say sorry, but your brain’s already a mess.” Quin dug her finger into Altera’s scalp and threw her to the ground.

The water from the nearest pond rose and caught Altera and Ragna. As fast as she could, Altera beat her wings and widened the distance between them and Quin.

“It hurts my soul seeing you, dearest sister-in-law.” Quin shook her head. “You could shine like a diamond, yet you tarnish yourself to be a piece of coal.”

Not allowing Altera to defend herself, Quin showed them the sheet of her fan. The violet dragon glowed. “Fighting with honor? There’s no glory in battle and no pride in war. There is only death and victory. Slash the enemy from behind. Kick them when they are down. Gouge out their eyes. Destroy their weapons. The moment you fight to protect, it’s not only your lives that are on the line. You lose; everyone you protect dies. Valkyries, Caliphs, Samurai, Paladins, Knights: We’re all the same. We put on an oath to protect our kingdoms, our leaders, and the citizens. To jeopardize their safety would be an insult to every hero.”

“There’s more to -,” Altera tried to say, but Quin cut her off.

“I’m not saying there’s no merit in honor. There is. It can help us to remind us of our humanity. But we’re protectors and heroes first, and humans second. Honor is for the strong: Those who can afford it. And currently, you can’t. Not because you’re weak, but because you handicap yourself. You must have noticed it yourself. In terms of abilities, your Fylgja’s more limited than most others. It’s because you were under medication when you discovered it.”

Altera’s eyes widened, and Ragna raised her head. She could barely move, thanks to Quin’s kick.

Medication? What did she mean by that? Was Altera suffering from an illness?

Quin turned her fan around. The creature's color had dulled. She blew her weapon, but there was no wind. Instead, a sound popped around them.

The water in the ponds began to seethe and swirl. Bubbles formed on the whirlpools, and the water jetted out of the ponds. The masses conglomerated into a snake-like being. It raised its head to the sky and fell upon the two.