Hello, I have the new chapter, hope you all enjoy! Ah and in the beginning of it if the character's mindset and mannerisms sounds childish, well that's because most of the chapter is her as an adolescent. I also decided to make it in 1st person because it was easier for me to write backstories in that way.

Remember that this part has tragedy! Well, it's kind of hard not to...you know, slave and all that? Anyways don't bash on me for it, already warned you. Without further ado...

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-----Skylar P.O.V. (the valkyrie)----

“Skylar, sweetie, make sure you put the dishes away after dinner!” A middle-aged woman shouts from the other room in the house.

“Yes mother I understand…afterwards can I watch father practice his sword fighting?”

“Hmm, fine but I wish you would do girly things for once you know?”

That’s a mom for ya. Ever since I can remember, fighting was my favorite activity. It’s an art, and one that can keep you physically fit and sharp in the mind too; definitely more exhilarating then poking yourself with a needle on accident every 5 seconds when sowing. Even though mom doesn’t want to see me fight like men I’m adamant on my decision and no one can stop me.

My name is Skylar, 12 yrs. old and I’m a Valkyrie. My mom is one too, and we are one of the few that hasn’t been ‘indoctrinated’ by the human church. Indoctrinated being the key word, it is a fancy term for brainwashed. Lying low and moving from place to place has kept us in the dark when it comes to them trying to figure out where we are. However it doesn’t matter whether or not I have a normal childhood, as long as I have my parents all is well. Looking back on those moments makes me wish it could last forever. Haah, truly a silly wish.

As I’m cleaning the dishes I hear yelling outside of the cabin. Unfamiliar voices and sword clashing rings out, making me alert and immediately stop what I’m doing. Before I’m able to run out to see what is happening, mom sprints into the kitchen with her best ‘everything is fine’ expression that is obviously forced.

“Listen to me Skylar, you need to run as fast as you can. I know you can’t fly yet, but you can have a head start if you leave now! First I need to give you something that will help in the future. This will make you immune to mind attacks or mind control; furthermore I’m giving you the Ancestral Awakening right now. Only part is, the awakening is going to be in stages that have to be unlocked. This is because a full awakening takes time that we don’t have right now. Just hold still for a moment, after the awakening is done run away as fast as you can! Here is some money to help get you started and the hereditary memories after the awakening should help you understand your magic.”

Suddenly she hands me a small pouch with coins in it then raises her palm to my forehead and a golden glow erupts from her hand into my head. The information received feels like my mind is going to explode, the pain is almost enough to knock me unconscious. There are pictures of other Valkyries fighting and then there are small scenes that show different spells used and how to use them. There are even survival methods on how to live in the wild, or to track animals, etc. It feels as if all of this takes hours when really it’s only been the span of a couple breaths.

When I open my eyes after processing everything I can see my mom with unshed tears in her eyes forcing a smile. After a quick hug she turns around and exits the room. I feel like I should follow, however I know I won’t be any help in a fight, and instead it would just worry them even more. Taking one last look at my home, I exit through the back door and run as fast as I can. I’m unable to fly but using my wings to flap while running increases my speed nonetheless. Shouting and swords clashing is heard in the distance, with me leaving behind my parents that I’ve lived with since I can remember. Suddenly,

“Captain, it looks like you were right; surrounding the house from a far distance would definitely catch the little girl.”

A knight with silver armor appears from behind a large tree a few meters away from me. It would look heroic if it weren’t for the fact the man has a lecherous expression plastered on his face. Then another appears, this time with silver armor and gold trim. He speaks,

“Yes, it seems like she escaped the house after all. It doesn’t matter anyways, now that she is going to be captured. Little girl, don’t worry there are other Valkyries at the church you’ll meet.”

Before I can retaliate or flee I feel an impact at the back of my neck and everything goes dark.

----Holy Cathedral in a human kingdom on [Mazef Continent]----

Waking up I find myself on a bunk bed in a large room with many other beds. Next to my bed is another bed with a girl seemingly the same age as me. As I was looking at her for a long time, she woke up and looked around with a confused face just as I did a few minutes ago. Turning to me she says,

“Uh, where are we? I was taken away by some guys in armor and woke up here.”

With a puzzled expression myself I reply, “The same happened to me, I think we are in one of the churches though. Maybe we can look arou-“

*Bang!*

The door slams open and a lady dressed in priestess clothing walks towards us both,

“Okay girls, you are now going to be living here. It’s a wonderful opportunity to serve the lord as our guardian Valkyries!

Now, chop chop, it’s already breakfast time!”

She says all of this with a motherly smile that doesn’t fit the situation at all. Both of us are too stunned at what’s going on so she walks over and pulls us along towards breakfast. The rest of the day went by in a similar fashion with priestesses speaking about ‘lord’ this or ‘lord’ that. The only significant detail was how we are going to be schooled here and also receive combat training. And last but definitely least is all of the praying we are going to be doing in between. Yay.

-----3 weeks later-----

Everyone is acting odd. The girl who I met the first day whose name is Kate was totally on-board with my idea that this place is filled with whackos. However slowly she is turning into one of those very whackos mentioned! She starts to go on and on about the ‘lord’ and stuff like that.

It’s not just her; even a couple people who got ‘recruited’ recently have been changing. It seems I’m the only one not going crazy. And the priests and priestess’s notice it too. This is bad.

Kate walks into the dorm area and greets me,

“Hey Skylar wanna go with me to pray?”

“No, I’m fine I think I’ll just stay here, thanks though.”

She nods her head a bit saddened by my answer then leaves. It gives me a moment to think about what’s going on around here anyways. Like the question of why am I the only one who isn’t being influenced and they are? I’m immune to things like mind-control or I guess anything relating to it. Maybe they haven’t undergone their awakening? I’ve never asked anyone about the awakening however since I believed it was what everyone goes through. I did start noticing the past few days when we finally got to spellcasting and combat with magic, that I already know how to do this so the awakening may be the factor here. With my inherent memories all of the stuff they are learning is basic and not as powerful nor complex as my own magic. Well my thoughts are interrupted when a priestess enters the room with her creepy happy-go-lucky-praise-the-heavenly-lord smile,

“Skylar, can you come to the head priest’s office for a moment?”

“...yeah.”

Following her we take a couple turns down some hallways and enter the head priest’s ‘domain’. At least that’s what he calls it. Pious prick that believes he can do anything as long as he adds ‘because it’s the lord’s will’ to the end of the sentence. Ah, when did I get such a potty mouth? Anyways we enter the room and he is not the only one inside either.

“Welcome Skylar, pay your respects to Prince Rolan he is here to talk with us today.”

Wha-? Why is a prince here? I try to do my best curtsy and reply stiffly,

“Um, greetings your highness.”

He doesn’t even glance my way before speaking back to the priest,

“So this is the defect you were telling me about? I’ll take her off your hands for you. Even if she can resist mind-control-type magic it won’t matter with a slave collar. A Lightning Slave Collar should do just fine.”

“Prince Rolan that sounds great, we would appreciate it very much.”

Huh?! I don’t get a say in this?! However, I try to speak out until I feel something cold clasp around my neck suddenly. Looking behind me there is a guard that somehow showed up during this and put some sort of collar on me…a slave collar? Didn’t this escalate a little too quickly! Screw it, I’m going to fight my way out of her-

*ZAP!!!* “AAAAHHH!!!”

“Tsk tsk, don’t attack me nor try to escape, it won’t end well.”

Looking over to where the voice is I see the prince smiling like he thinks he is giving sound advice and not torturing a 12 year old girl to make a point. This is the start to a world of hell. Huh, I’m basically going to a world of hell straight from a church. God doesn’t like to waste time does he?

-------6 years later, right before she meets Xaramax-------

…Food……what am I going to do…..that’s always the question…..

It’s an answer I already know……fight or get punished……fight and then eat….

Mom, dad, look at your daughter. I’m no different than a beast that does others bidding. The prince boasts sometimes to the soldiers about taking my virginity, however that never actually happened. I almost ‘ended his family line’ when he tried. After that he only says to others his side of the story, not like anyone else will listen to me.

The ancestral awakening seals are done except for the last one. Each of them gives me more memories to sort through when I get bored. That’s the only respite I get among this. These years I haven’t even had a single happy moment. Nothing to look forward to other than the shit those guys me to eat. Many times I’ve thought to end it myself. However if I do that then my parents sacrifice will mean nothing. There is no escape.

“Tomorrow you will be freed.”

Eh? Someone’s spouting some rubbish. What does he want? Ridicule me? I don’t even need to look at him to know he’s just another asshole like the others.

Suddenly a small fist sized shadow creeps its way towards me on the ground. It’s not like I haven’t been attacked before, I’m too tired to do anything. The shadow that runs along my body and feels like liquid; then it reaches my neck and my collar gets colder. Ice? The slave collar seems frozen to the point it’s easily breakable. However he froze the inside so it looks the same on the outer layer. According to slave collars they have a magical array set inside of them that acts as the trigger for the lightning so it seems he froze it and the surrounding insides.

Why is he doing this for me? He is telling me his plans to save me. For what reason? As I look into his eyes right before he leaves it startles me. It’s like looking into a blue ocean with a void in the middle. Giving the aura of a person who couldn’t care less what happens to people besides himself. No, it’s more like he doesn’t care if anyone gets in his way because they’ll die according to his whim; an indomitable force that cannot be shaken. I’ll serve him if he saves me. Heh, ‘Master’ sounds like a good name…

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Ero scene next chapter...