CHAPTER 46: “CHILD & IMPOSTER” “VIKINGS WAR IN VALHALLA”

BY WILLIAM WARNER

CHAPTER 46: “CHILD & IMPOSTER” “VIKINGS WAR IN VALHALLA”

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We remained at the bow window longer than any of us intended, our attention fixed on the immense form of the Shark Hive Mind drifting in the abyss beyond the glass. Its surface pulsed with slow, deliberate patterns, like thoughts made visible, and the tether that bound it to the dead world below throbbed with a rhythm that felt almost biological. There was something unsettling about seeing intelligence rendered at that scale, something that made the vastness of space feel smaller rather than larger. We waited in silence, knowing that we could not act alone—not here, not against something that demanded coordination at the level of fleets.

The void shifted.

Our Drakkar fleet arrived not with gradual approach, but with instantaneous presence, their forms snapping into existence as their teleportation systems deposited them precisely into formation around us. The arrival was immediate and controlled, each vessel aligning itself in a protective configuration that encircled both our position and the Hive Mind itself. Almost as soon as they stabilized, large dispensers along the sides of each ship activated, releasing thick clouds of red fog into the surrounding space. The substance spread outward in slow, drifting plumes, forming a dense veil that masked our presence beneath a familiar scent and biological signature.

The fog was not smoke. It was ground shark matter. A grotesque but necessary deception.

The surrounding bio-structures reacted subtly, their movements calming rather than agitating as the artificial scent permeated the area. The disguise held.

Yursa adjusted our trajectory, guiding the Dropship toward one of the larger vessels within the fleet. The mothership loomed ahead, its hull reflecting faint glints of distant starlight beneath its own layered shielding. The docking bay opened seamlessly as we approached, drawing us inward before sealing behind us with a heavy mechanical closure that cut off the view of open space.

We disembarked together.

Lilith, Elizabeth, Cole, Mathew, Hanna, Serenity, Anisia, Beelzebub, Yursa, Droid L-84, Emily, and I moved through the interior of the ship, ascending toward the bridge where command operations were already underway. The corridors were alive with motion, crew members and droids moving with urgency as they prepared for whatever came next. By the time we reached the bridge, the full scale of the situation had already begun to unfold.

Vafri stood near the central command console, his posture rigid as he monitored incoming data. Halrick and Astrid were positioned nearby, their attention shifting between the displays and the massive structure visible through the forward viewport. The Hive Mind loomed just beyond the glass, its presence dominating the visual field as if it were aware of us watching.

The room filled with quiet conversation, overlapping voices exchanging information and speculation, but I moved directly toward Droid L-84, my focus already narrowing toward the next problem. “How are we going to move this damn thing?”

The droid turned slightly, his sensors adjusting as he processed the scale of the object in question before responding. “We have plenty of pocket dimensions to fit this beast, don't worry. We'll make sure it's secure this time.”

The answer was practical, but it did little to ease the underlying concern. Containing something like that wasn’t just a matter of space—it was a matter of control.

Before I could respond further, Vafri’s voice cut through the room, drawing attention back to the tactical displays. “A couple of our scouts spotted enemy Templar Ships with the intention of going to the Green Sector of Vikingnars space.”

Lilith reacted immediately, her expression tightening as she processed the implication. “They could be after more Talking Trees seeds.”

I turned toward her, the statement catching my attention. “Come again?”

Her response came with a clarity that suggested this was not new information to her. “My younger brother always deals in illegal items like Talking Trees, and blood from the innocent.”

The connection formed instantly, the pieces aligning into something far more dangerous than a simple raid. “That's not good, Talking Trees can communicate with dark entities.”

The words had barely left my mouth before the entire bridge shifted into emergency response. Red alarm lights ignited overhead, bathing the room in a pulsing glow as the automated warning systems activated. The calm of observation shattered as the void outside the viewport distorted once more.

A Templar armada appeared.

Their ships materialized in formation, their presence aggressive and immediate, their positioning already angled for engagement. The scale of their fleet rivaled our own, their weapons systems activating as energy signatures spiked across the tactical displays.

The warning system spoke, its voice echoing through the bridge with mechanical urgency. “Prepare your battle stations. This is not a drill, I repeat this is not a drill.”

“What the hell!”

The situation escalated instantly as beams of energy erupted between the two forces, streaking across the void in rapid exchanges of fire. Shields flared under impact, defensive systems compensating as both fleets engaged in full-scale combat. The Hive Mind remained between it all, a silent, massive presence that neither side could afford to lose control of.

Beelzebub stepped forward slightly, his tone measured despite the chaos unfolding. “Their weapons are having a hard time penetrating energy shields, but they'll figure out a way to get on board.”

As if in response to his words, the internal systems shifted again, a new alert cutting through the noise of battle. “Containment Breach! Containment Breach!”

The words hit harder than the external threat. “They must be in the docking bay. We must go...”

I turned to Emily as I spoke, ready to move, but something stopped me mid-step. Her posture had changed, her body tense in a way that had nothing to do with the battle outside. My gaze dropped slightly, noticing the shift immediately.

Her abdomen.

It was swelling. “Emily are you alright?”

Her voice came strained, but controlled. “I think it's the baby.”

The realization hit instantly, forcing me to split focus between two crises unfolding at once. There was no time to hesitate. “Serenity, Anisia, stay with Emily. Lilith, Beelzebub, Halrick and Astrid make sure nothing gets onto the bridge. Cole, Hanna, Mathew, Elizabeth, and Droid L-84 come with me.”

The orders were carried out without question. Armor systems activated in unison, forming around us in layers of advanced material as we prepared to move into the conflict below. The door to the bridge sealed behind us as we exited, locking into place to protect those remaining inside.

The battle outside raged. The breach inside had begun. And we were heading straight into it.

By the time Mathew, Elizabeth, Hanna, Cole, and I reached the docking bay of our Drakkar Carrier, the entire chamber had already descended into chaos. What had once been a structured, semi-industrial space filled with landing platforms and maintenance systems had transformed into a battlefield drenched in flashes of plasma fire and the metallic echoes of war. Viking warriors clad in graphene armor held defensive positions behind cargo structures and docking rails, firing their plasma rifles in disciplined bursts as Templar Knights advanced with equal ferocity. The air was thick with smoke and heat, the ground littered with debris from damaged machinery, and above it all, the constant flicker of Wraith portals tore open new entry points for the enemy.

We joined the fight without hesitation, our plasma rifles materializing into our hands as we stepped into formation. The moment we engaged, the long-range firefight intensified, our shots cutting through advancing Templars while their return fire struck against our armor and cover. Each enemy that fell was quickly replaced as more emerged from the unstable portals, their numbers swelling faster than our warriors could thin them. The rhythm of the battle began to shift from controlled engagement into something far more desperate, and I could see it in the way our lines were being pressured backward.

My focus shifted away from the immediate targets as I scanned the docking bay, searching for the source of the reinforcements. The portals weren’t appearing randomly; they were being sustained by something within the chamber. It didn’t take long to find it—a hovering drone positioned above the central platform, its energy output synchronizing perfectly with each portal that opened. The realization snapped into place instantly, and I raised my voice over the chaos.

“We must take out the drone! It's the tether allowing them to enter our ship!”

I broke from the line the moment the words left my mouth, charging forward across the platform with a burst of speed that carried me through the crossfire. Two Templars moved to intercept me, their weapons raised, but they didn’t have time to react before I fired, dropping both with precise shots to the head. The drone remained above, its shielding still active, pulsing faintly as it maintained the connection to the Wraith portals. I extended my hand and unleashed a surge of red lightning, the energy crashing against the drone’s shield in a violent burst that destabilized its defenses. The barrier flickered, then collapsed entirely.

I didn’t hesitate. I leapt upward, closing the distance in a single motion before tackling the drone out of the air. We slammed into the platform below, the impact sending sparks and fragments outward as I tore into its frame with brute force. The machine struggled to stabilize, its systems attempting to recover, but I snapped its core structure apart, ripping it in two until its energy output failed completely. The effect rippled through the battlefield immediately as the Wraith portals destabilized and collapsed, cutting off the flow of reinforcements in an instant.

With no new enemies entering the field, the tide of battle shifted.

We regrouped quickly and surged forward, pressing the remaining Templars back with coordinated fire. Without their endless reinforcements, their numbers began to dwindle, but what remained were their heavy units—larger, more resilient, and far more dangerous at close range. As we advanced, the fight transitioned from ranged combat into melee, the clash of weapons replacing the sharp cracks of plasma fire. These Templars fought with precision and skill, their strikes aimed deliberately at the gaps in our armor, forcing us to respond in kind.

I felt their blades find openings, grazing joints and exposed sections with unsettling accuracy. They were disciplined, refined, and far stronger than the Templars we had faced before. It became clear that these were not ordinary soldiers—they had been selected, strengthened, and honed into something more dangerous. Around me, my warriors held the line, intercepting those who attempted to break through toward me, cutting them down before they could reach striking distance.

Then one did.

A heavily armored Templar wielding a massive pick axe pushed through the chaos, his movements slower but carrying immense force behind each step. He came directly at me, his weapon crashing down with enough power to shake the ground beneath us. I met his strikes head-on, redirecting the force where I could, but each impact sent vibrations through my arms, testing the limits of my control. He pressed forward relentlessly, his attacks designed to break rather than outmaneuver.

I waited. Watched. And when the opening came, I took it.

As he committed to a heavy downward strike, his stance shifted just enough to expose the back of his knee. I moved instantly, driving my chainsword into the joint with a grinding resistance before the blade cut through. He dropped to one knee, the imbalance giving me the advantage I needed. Without hesitation, I brought the chainsword across his neck, the reinforced armor resisting for a moment before the weapon’s energy forced its way through.

The head separated cleanly, the body collapsing forward as the blade completed its arc.

The remaining heavy units faltered. That hesitation was enough.

I drew in what energy I could and released it in a controlled surge, lifting the remaining Templars from the ground. Their bodies rose helplessly into the air, suspended by a force they could not fight against. They struggled, but it was futile. I unleashed a concentrated blast of lightning beneath them, the energy tearing through their armor and into whatever remained inside. The effect was immediate and final, leaving nothing but charred remains encased in their shells.

When I released them, they fell. The docking bay fell silent.

Smoke drifted through the aftermath, the last echoes of battle fading into stillness as I stood there, waiting for the familiar exhaustion that usually followed such a release of power. It didn’t come. The energy remained within me, steady and unspent, as if something had changed in the way I was drawing from it.

Cole stepped closer, his voice cutting through the quiet as he surveyed the damage. “Geeze, were those guys on steroids? They're usually easier to kill?”

I looked across the fallen Templars, the answer already clear in the pattern of their strength and coordination. “Bethany weeded out the weaklings. I guess she kept the strongest Knights Templar.”

The realization settled over all of us as we stood in the aftermath, the silence no longer empty, but filled with the understanding that what we had just faced was only a fraction of what was still to come.

The moment the final Templar fell in the docking bay, we did not linger to celebrate or even assess the cost of what had just taken place. The air still carried the scent of burnt metal and ionized plasma as we turned and ran, boots striking hard against the reinforced floors of the carrier while emergency lights pulsed red along the corridors. The ship trembled beneath us, not from internal damage, but from the ongoing battle raging just beyond its hull. Every step forward felt heavier than the last, not from exhaustion, but from the growing sense that something far worse was unfolding elsewhere. We moved quickly through the corridors, past squads of Viking warriors repositioning, past droids sealing breaches and rerouting power, past the wounded being dragged to safety. The deeper we pushed toward the bridge, the more the noise of combat faded into a distant roar, replaced by a tense, suffocating silence that pressed against my thoughts. It was the kind of silence that only came when something irreversible was about to happen.

When the bridge doors opened, the scene inside hit me harder than anything in the docking bay.

Emily was lying on a table at the center of the room, surrounded by Serenity and Anisia, her armor partially removed, her body tense as the reality of what was happening overtook everything else. The war, the fleet, the enemy—none of it mattered in that moment. The life we had created was coming into this universe, and it was doing so in the middle of chaos that could swallow entire worlds.

I stepped forward without hesitation, my voice steady despite everything pressing down around us. "This place isn't safe for our newborn child."

The words felt small compared to the magnitude of the situation, but they were the only truth that mattered in that moment. Around us, the bridge crew moved with urgency, systems flickering across the displays as they tracked the battle outside. Droid L-84 shifted his attention away from the consoles and toward the massive viewport at the front of the bridge, his mechanical frame rigid in a way that suggested something had gone terribly wrong.

He raised his arm slightly, pointing outward. "Uh sir..."

I followed his gesture, my gaze locking onto the void beyond the ship, and what I saw erased any illusion that we had gained control of the situation.

Space itself looked torn open.

A massive Wraith portal had formed in the distance, far larger than anything we had encountered before, its edges twisting and folding as if reality itself struggled to contain it. The energy radiating from it pulsed in waves, distorting the surrounding space, bending light and shadow into something unnatural. It wasn’t just a gateway—it was an event, a convergence of forces that should never have been aligned.

And at its center, being pulled toward it, was the Shark Hive Mind.

The immense, grotesque mass of the floating brain—once tethered to the rocky world—was now drifting helplessly toward the portal, its vast surface twitching with residual energy as if it could sense what was happening but had no means to resist. The umbilical connection that once anchored it had been severed, leaving it exposed, vulnerable, and now completely at the mercy of whatever force had orchestrated this moment.

Templar ships surrounded it.

Their formation was no longer chaotic or desperate as it had been during the battle. Now it was precise, controlled, deliberate. They were not fighting anymore—they were escorting. And within the shadows of the portal itself, darker shapes moved, barely visible but unmistakable in their presence.

Demons. The alliance was undeniable.

Templar technology and demonic power had merged into something far more dangerous than either force alone, and together they had accomplished what we had failed to prevent. The portal expanded further, its gravitational pull intensifying as it drew the Hive Mind closer, the massive organism disappearing piece by piece into the swirling darkness.

There was nothing we could do. Not from this distance. Not at this moment. We had won the battle inside our ship, but out here, in the vast emptiness of space, we had just lost something far more significant. The very organism that controlled the Shark People—the key to understanding, controlling, or destroying them—was being taken beyond our reach.

And we were forced to watch it happen.

The final portion of the Hive Mind slipped into the portal, its enormous form vanishing completely as the distortion sealed itself behind it. The energy collapsed inward, the rift snapping shut with a violent ripple that sent a shockwave through the surrounding space. In the aftermath, there was nothing left—no trace of the organism, no residual signal, only the cold emptiness where it had once existed.

The Templar fleet did not remain.

As quickly as they had appeared, their ships began to withdraw, vanishing one by one into smaller Wraith portals that opened and closed with surgical precision. Within moments, the battlefield that had once been filled with warships and chaos was eerily still, leaving us alone with the consequences of what had just occurred.

I stood there, staring into the void, the weight of it settling in fully. We had fought. We had survived. And yet, we had still lost.

I turned away from the viewport, forcing my focus back to what mattered now. Emily. The child. The future that still existed despite everything we had just witnessed. Droid L-84 stood nearby, his sensors still fixed on the fading energy signatures outside, processing the event with a level of calculation that I didn’t have the luxury of indulging in.

I stepped toward him, my voice firm, leaving no room for hesitation. "We'll deal with the Shark Hive Mind later, just find us a planet that's safe for Emily to give birth."

The war could wait. For now, survival meant something else entirely.

Our fleet drifted into a quiet orbit above an uncharted jungle world, its surface veiled in layers of soft, shifting cloud and illuminated by a warm, steady sun that cast a gentle glow across endless green. From above, the planet appeared untouched by war, its temperate climate sustaining vast canopies of dense vegetation and winding rivers that shimmered like veins of silver beneath the light. There were no visible scars of conflict, no fleets, no ruins—only the calm, living rhythm of a world that had not yet been claimed by the chaos consuming the rest of the galaxy. It was the closest thing to peace we had seen in a long time, and for once, that peace was not an illusion. We did not waste time. Anisia, Serenity, Droid L-84, Beelzebub, and I escorted Emily down to the surface, the descent through the atmosphere smooth and controlled as the Drakkar Dropship cut through the clouds and into the humid air below. The moment we landed, the sounds of the jungle surrounded us—distant wildlife, the rustling of leaves, the steady hum of life continuing without knowledge of the war beyond its skies. It felt alien and familiar at the same time, a place that existed outside of everything we had been fighting for. We moved quickly but carefully, finding a clearing where the terrain opened just enough to give us space. At its center was a naturally formed stone slab, smooth and wide, elevated slightly above the surrounding ground as if the planet itself had prepared a place for what was about to happen. Emily was already in pain, her body tensing with each wave that passed through her, and we laid her gently upon the slab, her cushioned gurney absorbing the uneven surface beneath. Serenity immediately took control, her movements precise and practiced as she began preparing for the birth, laying out what equipment she had brought and adjusting Emily’s position with careful hands.

The air was warm, the breeze steady, and the light above filtered through the canopy in soft, golden streaks that illuminated the clearing. For once, the environment worked with us instead of against us. There were no alarms, no incoming threats, no urgency beyond the moment itself. It was as if the universe had paused, allowing this one event to exist without interruption. The only disruption came from within our own group.

Emily’s gaze shifted, her voice strained but clear despite the pain she was enduring. "What's Anisia doing here?"

Serenity did not stop her work as she responded, her tone calm and focused. "She was going to be my assistant."

Emily’s expression tightened, not from the labor alone, but from something deeper, something personal that had not yet been resolved. "I'd rather have Will help."

Serenity hesitated for only a fraction of a moment before turning her attention toward Anisia, her decision made without argument. "Can you please go?"

Anisia stood still for a moment, the weight of the situation evident in her posture, before finally nodding. There was something in her expression—something conflicted, restrained—but she did not challenge the request. "Fine."

She turned and walked away from the clearing, her presence fading into the surrounding jungle as the sounds of nature swallowed her footsteps. I noticed it, the tension, the quiet resentment, but I did not act on it. My focus was here, on Emily, on what was happening in front of me, on the life that was about to enter a universe that had given us nothing but conflict.

Everything else could wait.

Serenity guided me into position, her instructions minimal but clear as we worked together. Emily’s breathing became heavier, each push more intense than the last, her body straining against the effort as the process unfolded. Time seemed to stretch, each moment carrying weight far beyond its measure as

I remained at her side, steady, present, unwilling to look away.

Then it happened. A sound broke through the tension. A small, fragile cry—high, sharp, and unmistakably alive. The world seemed to still be around it. Serenity moved quickly, her hands steady as she completed the final steps of the delivery, and then I saw him. A small form, fragile yet defined, emerging into the light of this strange, distant world. He was unlike anything I had ever seen and yet entirely familiar, his features carrying echoes of my own form—grayish-blue fur, small but distinct, the beginnings of a Wulver’s shape already present even in infancy. He was both human and something more, a perfect fusion of what I was and what this universe had made me become.

Serenity wrapped him carefully in white cloth, securing him with practiced precision before turning toward me. For a moment, she simply held him there, as if acknowledging the significance of what she was about to do, before placing him into my arms.

The weight was real. Small. Alive.

I looked down at him, his tiny form shifting slightly as he continued to cry, his presence cutting through everything else that had defined my existence up to this point. The wars, the battles, the decisions—they all seemed distant now, overshadowed by something far more immediate.

I spoke without thinking, the words coming from somewhere deeper than logic. "He looks just like me?"

Beelzebub observed from nearby, his wasp-like form still and contemplative as he regarded the child with an unreadable expression. "But he didn't inherit your immortality."

The words settled heavily in the air, cutting through the moment with a truth I could not ignore. I didn’t respond, not because I didn’t understand, but because I understood too well. My gaze remained fixed on my son, on the fragile life I now held in my hands, and for the first time since this war began, a different kind of fear took hold of me.

I held him closer, the warmth of his body grounding me in a way nothing else ever had. And in that moment, without speaking a word, I made a decision. If immortality was the only way to survive in this universe— Then I would find a way to give it to him. No matter the cost.

The journey back to the Drakkar Carrier felt different from any flight I had taken before, not because of the distance or the mission, but because of what I now carried with me. Anisia, Serenity, Beelzebub, Droid L-84, and I formed a protective presence around Emily as we guided her and our newborn son into the dropship, the interior humming softly as its systems sealed and lifted us from the jungle world below. Through the viewport, I watched the canopy shrink into a patchwork of green and shadow, the calm surface of that untouched world fading beneath us as we rose back into the war-torn reality of space. The ship’s engines vibrated steadily, a constant reminder that peace, even for a moment, was something we could only borrow.

Emily sat across from me, cradling the child carefully in her arms, her expression softer than I had ever seen it, yet still marked by the exhaustion of what she had just endured. The infant had quieted, his small body wrapped securely, his presence somehow anchoring the chaos that had defined everything around us. The rest of the crew remained unusually silent, as if instinctively understanding the weight of this moment and choosing not to disturb it.

Emily’s voice broke through the quiet, gentle but deliberate. "What should we name him?"

I looked down at the child again, studying his features, the subtle movements, the undeniable reflection of myself within him. The answer came without hesitation, as if it had already been decided long before this moment ever arrived. "I think we should call him Wyborn."

Emily’s lips curved slightly, her approval immediate and genuine. "That sounds like a good name."

The name settled into reality, no longer just a thought but something permanent, something that would exist long after this moment passed. Wyborn. It carried weight, identity, and something more—something that felt fitting for a child born into a universe defined by conflict yet capable of holding something as fragile as hope.

The dropship breached the outer perimeter of our fleet, docking seamlessly within the massive hangar of the Drakkar Carrier. The doors opened, and we were immediately met with the presence of our people. Warriors, droids, allies—all gathered, their attention drawn not to a battle, not to a victory, but to something entirely different. For once, there were no weapons raised, no urgency in their movements, only a shared acknowledgment of what had just occurred.

We stepped onto the bridge shortly after, the central command area now filled with those closest to us. Their reactions were immediate, expressions shifting from curiosity to genuine warmth as they took in the sight of Emily and the child in her arms. It was a rare moment, one where the war seemed distant enough to allow something else to take its place, even if only briefly.

Cole stepped forward, his usual demeanor softened as he looked at the child. "Wyborn, looks like a mini version of you?"

I didn’t argue. There was no point in denying what was plainly visible. The resemblance was undeniable, and in a strange way, it grounded me even further in the reality of what had just happened.

For a short while, the bridge carried a different kind of energy. There was quiet laughter, shared glances, a collective sense of something positive emerging in the midst of everything we had endured. It didn’t last.

It couldn’t.

The weight of the situation returned as quickly as it had been forgotten. The absence of the Hive Mind lingered in every unspoken thought, its loss pressing against the fragile calm that had briefly taken hold. The enemy now possessed something we could not afford to leave in their control, and everyone in the room knew it.

I shifted my focus, turning toward Lilith as the reality of our next move took shape. "Is there a chance Ambrogio knows where the hive mind is being taken?"

Lilith’s response came without hesitation, her tone steady despite the implications. "Yes. He should know."

That was enough. I studied her expression carefully, gauging the weight of what I was about to say, knowing that it would not sit easily, regardless of her loyalty. "How much do you love him?"

She didn’t answer. The silence was all I needed. "If I have to use lethal force to get answers out of him, I will."

The words hung in the air, heavy with intent, leaving no room for misinterpretation. This was not a threat—it was a declaration of what would happen if necessary. Lilith understood that, and after a moment, she gave a small, controlled nod. "I understand. But, my brother has occupation over three different worlds. Finding him won't be an easy task, not because he's a runner, but because he has assembled a large army."

Her warning did not change anything. If anything, it confirmed exactly what I expected. This would not be simple. It would not be quick. And it would not be clean.

I nodded in return, already moving forward in my thoughts, mapping out the next steps before the rest of the room could fully process the shift back into war. "We should go to his sector, and confront him. We should take Emily & our child somewhere safe away from this madness."

The contrast in that statement was not lost on anyone. War on one side, protection on the other. It was a balance I would have to maintain, whether I was ready for it or not.

Around me, the others gave their agreement, each understanding their role in what was to come. Emily held Wyborn closer, her expression calm but resolute, accepting both the responsibility of what we had just gained and the danger that came with it.

The bridge settled into a new kind of silence—not uncertainty, but preparation. We had gained a son. We had lost the Hive Mind. And now, we are going to war again.

I escorted Emily, Wybjorn, and Yursa through the carrier’s corridors toward the docking bay while squads of Viking warriors and droids rushed around us preparing ships, weapons, and supplies for whatever came next. The mechanical hum of the carrier blended with the distant roar of engines and automated machinery, giving the entire vessel the feeling of a living fortress preparing itself for another campaign. Along the walls, red holographic banners displaying the Vikingnar dragon symbol flickered softly between maintenance warnings and fleet communications. Even now, with enemies regrouping somewhere beyond our reach, the carrier itself remained disciplined and operational.

Emily walked beside me quietly while holding Wybjorn against her chest, the infant wrapped securely in white cloth as his small gray-blue ears occasionally twitched beneath the fabric. The sight still felt surreal to me. Every time I looked at him, I saw pieces of myself reflected back in a form far more innocent than anything this universe deserved. His existence made the war feel simultaneously more important and more terrifying.

When we finally reached the docking bay, one of the Drakkar Dropships was already waiting for them near the edge of the launch platform. The sleek vessel rested beneath the massive ceiling lights while workers and droids loaded supplies into its rear compartments. Beyond the open hangar shields, Verdant’s pale green atmosphere glowed softly beneath the fleet, casting an emerald hue across the metal structures of the bay.

I stopped walking and turned toward Emily, forcing myself to focus on the moment instead of everything waiting ahead. "Make sure you hold down the fort while I'm away."

Emily stepped closer immediately, carefully adjusting Wybjorn in her arms before wrapping one arm around me in a firm embrace. Despite everything we had survived together, despite the battles, the deaths, and the horrors we had witnessed, there was still warmth in her touch that grounded me more than anything else in existence. "Don't forget about us."

I placed one hand gently against her shoulder armor and leaned my forehead lightly against hers for a brief moment before answering. "I won't."

Yursa stood nearby observing the exchange quietly until her attention shifted back toward me, curiosity and concern mixing behind her expression. "Where are you going?"

I straightened slightly, my focus hardening again as thoughts of Ambrogio, the missing Hive Mind, and the growing alliance between the Templars and demons returned to the forefront of my mind. "We're going to Spinewald. We got to confront Lilith's brother and get answers."

The name alone carried weight. Spinewald was deep within hostile territory, a sector controlled through fear, corruption, and ancient influence. If Ambrogio truly knew where the Hive Mind had been taken, then confronting him was no longer optional. It was necessary.

Yursa nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of what waited ahead, while Emily tightened her hold on Wybjorn protectively. Around us, the docking bay continued operating at full pace, crews preparing fighters and transports while armored warriors moved between vessels carrying weapons, crates and supplies. The war had not paused simply because a child had been born.

Nothing ever truly paused anymore.

After our brief conversation, Emily, Yursa, and Wybjorn boarded the waiting Drakkar Dropship. The ramp slowly lifted behind them while the engines began to glow brighter beneath the vessel. I remained standing on the platform, watching silently as the dropship rose from the docking bay floor before angling outward toward the open shield barrier.

For a brief second, Emily looked back toward me through the cockpit glass. Then the ship accelerated forward.

The Drakkar Dropship disappeared beyond the carrier and descended toward Verdant’s distant surface, leaving me standing alone beneath the cold industrial lights of the docking bay while the reality of my next mission settled fully into place.

My family was finally safe. Now it was time to march back into hell.

By the time I entered the bridge once again, everyone important had already gathered near the central tactical display. Halrick and Astrid stood together near the viewport overlooking the fleet, both of them now wearing upgraded armor fitted specifically for their altered bodies. Mathew, Elizabeth, Cole, and Hanna stood nearby discussing weapon supplies while Serenity quietly reviewed medical data through a floating holographic screen. Anisia remained near the rear of the bridge beside Beelzebub, whose massive wasp-like frame stood unusually still while his dragon Spark rested around his shoulders like a living scarf. Lilith stood apart from the others near the navigation consoles, her dark attire and pale vampiric features contrasting sharply against the glowing red holograms surrounding the room. Droid L-84 remained closest to the command station itself, plugged directly into the ship through several metallic cables extending from his armored spine.

The atmosphere on the bridge shifted the moment I stepped fully inside. Everyone turned their attention toward me.

Halrick was the first to speak, his tone direct as always despite everything he had recently endured. "So what's the plan boss?"

I approached the massive tactical table in the center of the bridge, where a rotating hologram of the Spinewald sector hovered above the surface in glowing crimson detail. Several worlds orbited a dying star within the projection, while countless energy signatures representing fleets, defense stations, and industrial zones flickered throughout the system.

I placed both hands against the edge of the table before answering. "We're going to cut off the signal between their fusion power generators on the world of Spinewald. The same generators that power their ships, and without the signal, Ambrogio can't flee into other solar systems."

The holographic display shifted automatically as Droid L-84 highlighted several enormous structures spread across Spinewald’s continents. Each fusion tower appeared interconnected through streams of pulsating energy that stretched across the planet and outward into orbiting fleets. The scale of the infrastructure immediately explained why Ambrogio’s forces had become so difficult to contain. His empire wasn’t relying on conventional fuel systems anymore; it operated through a synchronized energy network capable of powering entire armadas simultaneously.

Lilith crossed her arms as she studied the projection of her brother’s territory, though there was tension hidden beneath her otherwise composed expression. "My brother was never going to run anyway?"

I glanced toward her before responding calmly. "Doesn't mean Bethany would toss away one of her best enforcers. If you're worried, we can always send Vafri in as back up."

Lilith considered the idea silently for a moment before giving a slight nod. Around the bridge, the others exchanged looks of agreement as the reality of the operation settled in. We were no longer chasing scattered enemies or reacting to invasions. This time we were marching directly into hostile territory with the intention of crippling one of Bethany’s strongest allies before he could vanish deeper into the galaxy.

The tactical display continued rotating slowly above the table while our fleet prepared itself around us. Through the bridge windows, hundreds of Drakkar vessels maneuvered into formation, their dark metallic hulls illuminated by the surrounding starlight and engine glow. Fighter squadrons launched from nearby carriers while larger warships aligned themselves into defensive positions around the flagship. The scale of Vikingnar’s military strength had grown enormously since the beginning of this war, yet I still couldn’t shake the feeling that every victory only revealed an even larger threat waiting beyond the horizon.

Everyone eventually voiced their agreement with the plan, and the bridge crew immediately went to work. Pilots relayed commands through fleet-wide communication channels while navigation officers adjusted star charts and plotted routes through unstable sectors near Spinewald’s borders. Droid L-84 interfaced directly with the carrier’s systems, feeding strategic calculations into the tactical display faster than any mortal crew could process them manually.

Outside the bridge windows, the fleet slowly began to turn.

Massive engines ignited across the armada one after another, casting blue-white light across the darkness of space as the ships aligned toward their destination. The starfield itself seemed to shift as our formation accelerated forward, thousands of Vikingnar vessels moving together like a migrating force of mechanical predators heading toward enemy territory.

And somewhere ahead of us, beyond the distant stars and hostile sectors, Ambrogio waited on Spinewald. Whether he realized it or not, the war was finally coming directly to his doorstep.

The world of Spinewald looked diseased from orbit, as if the planet itself had been corrupted by the civilization spreading across its surface. Endless black forests wrapped around jagged mountain ranges while immense gothic cities pierced through the crimson cloud layers like iron spikes driven into flesh. Towering fusion pylons stretched high above the atmosphere, connected through glowing energy veins that crawled across continents in geometric patterns. Even from space, the planet radiated unnatural amounts of power. Entire storms of red lightning crackled between the upper atmosphere and the orbital spires, illuminating the darkness with violent flashes that made the world resemble a living furnace.

At the center of this corrupted world stood Ambrogio’s throne spire.

The structure rose far above the surrounding city like a gigantic metallic spear thrust into the heavens. Layers of black steel and gothic architecture wrapped around its exterior while streams of fusion energy pulsed through transparent channels embedded into the walls. Massive statues resembling winged Vampires overlooked the surrounding districts, their stone eyes staring downward upon the city like predatory gods.

Inside the highest chamber of the spire, Ambrogio sat sprawled across his throne with the arrogance of someone who believed himself untouchable. The throne room itself was enormous, lined with dark banners and illuminated by red ambient lighting that reflected against black metallic floors polished like mirrors. Beyond the balcony behind him stretched the skyline of Spinewald’s capital, its fusion towers and gothic skyscrapers glowing beneath the blood-red sky.

One of his vampiric servants rushed into the chamber in visible panic, armor rattling as he approached the throne. "We're under attack sir."

Ambrogio slowly rose from his throne and stepped toward the balcony overlooking the city below. From his elevated vantage point, he watched our Drakkar Carriers pierce through the atmosphere above Spinewald while hundreds of drop pods launched from their undersides like steel meteors descending toward the surface. Trails of burning plasma followed them through the clouds as anti-air batteries from the city attempted to intercept our assault force.

The invasion had begun.

My drop pod struck the surface with enough force to shake the surrounding district, the impact blasting apart stone pavement and scattering debris across the gothic streets. The hatch exploded outward moments later, and Serenity, Anisia, Beelzebub, and I emerged through the smoke heavily armored and fully prepared for battle. Around us, dozens of other pods slammed into the city while Viking warriors poured onto the streets in organized formations.

Spinewald’s architecture towered around us in all directions. The city resembled a fusion between a medieval nightmare and futuristic industrialism, its streets lined with black stone cathedrals, massive statues, glowing crimson windows, and elevated rail systems carrying armored transports overhead. Red fog drifted between the narrow alleyways while giant fusion conduits pulsed beneath transparent sections of the streets.

The enemy met us immediately.

Vampires clad in dark gun metal gray armor surged forward through the city avenues, their conical helmets and skull-shaped visors making them resemble walking corpses rather than soldiers. They wielded plasma rifles and curved falchion swords with terrifying efficiency, firing disciplined volleys before transitioning seamlessly into close combat.

The battle escalated instantly.

As more of our warriors emerged from their drop pods, the streets erupted into melee combat. Plasma fire illuminated the dark city while swords clashed violently against graphene armor. Vampires and Vikings slammed into each other in brutal close-quarters warfare beneath the towering gothic structures of Spinewald.

I carved through enemy ranks with my chainsword, “Slayer,” the weapon roaring violently as it chewed through armor, flesh, and bone alike. The new graphene reinforcements I had forged into the blade allowed it to withstand every strike, its dark damascus surface glowing faintly whenever lightning surged through its teeth. Vampire warriors lunged at me from multiple directions, but they moved too slowly. One lost his arm before he realized I had struck. Another had his chest split open from shoulder to hip. A third attempted to thrust his falchion between the gaps of my armor, only for me to drive my fist through his visor hard enough to crush the skull beneath it.

The momentum of our assault began forcing the enemy backward toward the spire gates.

I spotted Lilith fighting nearby among the chaos, her appearance standing out immediately against the battlefield. She wore ornate black and gold graphene armor that resembled ceremonial royalty more than standard wargear, while her visor displayed a carved silver-and-gold face that gave her helmet an almost angelic appearance despite the violence surrounding her. Her sword moved with terrifying precision as she cut through her own brother’s forces without hesitation.

I shouted toward her over the noise of battle. "Are we certain this is the right spire?"

Lilith deflected a strike before answering without even turning toward me. "I am, the photon scanner detected an immense fusion signal from this spire!"

That was all I needed to hear.

I surged forward with a burst of electrified energy flowing through my armor and weapon simultaneously. Lightning erupted around my chainsword as I slammed into the advancing wall of Vampires. The impact alone sent several enemies flying backward, while others were torn apart by the crackling energy coursing through Slayer’s spinning teeth. One armored Vampire was struck so hard across the torso that his body launched backward into the enormous spire gates with enough force to dent the reinforced metal.

The gates opened before me. I looked upward at the towering orbital spire disappearing high above the clouds before stepping through its entrance alone.

Inside, the structure felt less like a building and more like a vertical fortress. Massive elevator platforms moved continuously between levels while fusion conduits hummed through the walls like glowing arteries feeding power throughout the entire city. The scale of the interior was absurd. Entire rooms could have housed fleets of fighters, while towering machinery disappeared upward beyond visibility.

The first elevator platform carried me several levels upward before stopping at an industrial transit floor lined with suspended walkways and reactor pipes. From there, I had to cross half the level just to reach another elevator that continued toward the upper sections.

"Dumb design."

The words escaped me instinctively as I stepped onto the second platform. Eventually the elevator reached the highest level, opening directly into Ambrogio’s throne chamber.

The room was empty except for Ambrogio himself and the servant who had warned him earlier. Before either could react, I raised my hand and unleashed a concentrated surge of electricity directly into the servant’s body.

The effect was horrific.

The Vampire collapsed instantly as the lightning coursed through him, burning his flesh from the inside outward. His pale skin blistered violently while blood and pus leaked from rapidly forming boils across his face and body. Chunks of flesh peeled away in strips as the corpse convulsed against the floor. Unlike cinematic portrayals of Vampires turning elegantly to ash, these creatures died slowly and grotesquely, their corrupted biology fighting desperately against destruction until the body finally dried into a shriveled husk.

I looked down briefly at the corpse before turning my attention toward Ambrogio. "I guess he coagulated."

Ambrogio’s expression twisted with rage as dark wings erupted outward from his back. "So the beast has a brain? Why..."

I cut him off immediately. "Tell me where the Shark Hive Mind is, or die."

He answered with violence instead.

One of his wings lashed toward me with blinding speed, but I sidestepped the attack and slashed into the appendage with Slayer, tearing through flesh and black feathers alike. Ambrogio recoiled instantly before counterattacking with his mace, the weapon colliding against my chainsword with enough force to send sparks exploding across the chamber.

Then the real fight began.

Ambrogio moved with terrifying discipline. Despite my superior strength and speed, he compensated with precision, constantly redirecting my attacks while striking toward vulnerable gaps in my armor. His mace possessed durability comparable to Slayer itself, allowing him to withstand direct clashes without his weapon shattering. We exchanged blows across the throne room violently enough to crack pillars and destroy sections of the floor.

Neither of us gained ground. The battle became a stalemate of skill versus raw power. Eventually I abandoned restraint.

I levitated upward suddenly, lifting myself above the chamber while channeling electricity through both my armor and my weapon simultaneously. Lightning exploded outward and struck Ambrogio directly, engulfing his body in violent energy. For the first time during the fight, genuine pain crossed his face. He screamed as his pale flesh burned beneath the assault, smoke rising from his armor while the electricity forced him backward.

I descended on him immediately afterward, grabbing him by the throat before flying upward through the spire itself. We smashed violently through multiple ceilings as I carried him higher and higher until we burst directly into the control room near the edge of space itself.

The view stopped me for half a second.

Beyond the transparent walls stretched the upper atmosphere of Spinewald and the endless void beyond it. Red storms swirled beneath the station while our fleets battled across orbit in flashes of plasma and exploding warships. Still levitating, I hurled Ambrogio downward across the control room before walking directly toward the central fusion console. Holographic systems surrounded the platform, all synchronized to the planetary generator network below.

I shut down the signal.

The effect rippled outward instantly as the fusion synchronization between Spinewald’s generators collapsed. Across orbit, enemy ships began losing formation while entire sections of the planetary power grid flickered and died.

For a brief moment, I became distracted by the view outside the station. Then I heard it. The sound of wings. I turned immediately. Ambrogio was gone. The hole we had blasted through the floor remained open beneath me, disappearing downward into darkness. He had escaped.

After Ambrogio escaped through the shattered floors of the spire, I remained standing alone inside the control chamber longer than I should have. The silence surrounding me felt unnatural after the violence of our fight. Fusion reactors beneath the city continued to power down in gradual stages, causing sections of Spinewald’s surface to darken beneath the crimson storms outside. Entire districts flickered as energy networks collapsed one by one, and the orbital traffic surrounding the planet had already begun spiraling into disarray without the synchronized signal controlling their fleets.

Yet despite technically winning the battle, I felt no satisfaction.

I stared outward through the massive observation windows at the edge of space while thoughts continued spiraling through my mind faster than I could organize them. Ambrogio fleeing instead of continuing the fight confirmed something important. He had no real escape route anymore.

Bethany had become too powerful, too unstable, and too ambitious for even her own allies to fully trust her. The Shark Hive Mind disappearing through that massive Wraith portal no longer felt random either. The more I thought about it, the more a terrible realization began forming in the back of my mind.

The Hive Mind could be on Earth. Not my Earth. This timeline’s Earth. Or whatever remained of it.

Bethany didn’t need the Shark Hive merely to control the Shark People. She wanted something larger than armies or territory. She wanted authority over the Hive itself, authority over an ancient intelligence capable of influencing biological life across galaxies. If she managed to merge demonic influence with the Hive Mind’s telepathic network, the results could become catastrophic on a scale none of us were prepared for.

I slowly exhaled while staring into the stars beyond Spinewald’s atmosphere. With Ambrogio cornered and his empire collapsing, I realized I had been asking the wrong question this entire time. The important question was no longer where the Hive Mind had gone. The important question was what Bethany intended to do with it.

Eventually I forced myself away from the window and returned toward the elevator systems leading back down to the surface. Smoke drifted through the lower levels of the spire while emergency alarms echoed faintly throughout the structure. Entire sections of the tower had lost power after I severed the fusion signal, leaving only dim red emergency lights illuminating the corridors. By the time I reached the ground level and stepped back through the enormous spire gates, the battle outside had already ended.

The battlefield looked devastated.

Bodies littered the dark streets surrounding the tower while damaged drop pods burned among shattered gothic architecture. Dead Vampires in gun metal gray armor were scattered everywhere alongside fallen Viking warriors. Plasma scorch marks blackened entire sections of the streets while smoke rose from wrecked vehicles and collapsed barricades. Our forces were still securing the area, but the fighting itself was clearly over.

For a brief moment, everything seemed stable. Then I noticed Anisia.

She stood several yards away near one of the ruined streets while powering down her armor. The graphene plates receded across her body in streams of nanos that crawled back into the amulet hanging near her chest, leaving her vulnerable in only her dark underclothing beneath the armor system. At first I thought she had merely been injured during the battle, but then I saw her clutching her stomach.

Her bloated stomach. Anisia suddenly collapsed onto her knees against the stone pavement. Serenity reacted immediately.

She rushed toward Anisia without hesitation while nearby warriors turned in confusion toward the commotion. Something inside me compelled me to move toward them as well despite everything that had already happened between us.

By the time I approached, Anisia was breathing heavily while gripping Serenity’s arm for support. Serenity looked up at me with immediate concern. "Will, I think she's going into labor."

I stared down at Anisia for a moment before answering. "Then help her give birth here."

The words sounded colder leaving my mouth than they had inside my head, but I didn’t know how else to respond anymore. Too much had happened too quickly. Between Emily giving birth, the Hive Mind disappearing, Ambrogio escaping, and the constant wars consuming entire worlds, my ability to emotionally process anything felt almost nonexistent.

Anisia slowly lifted her head toward me, tears already forming in her eyes. "Will. Can you please be the father of my child?"

For several seconds I couldn’t answer her.

The battlefield surrounding us suddenly felt very far away while the weight of the situation settled into my chest. Part of me pitied her. Another part of me remained deeply unsettled by everything involving her pregnancy. The tests, the strange inconsistencies, the lingering traces of Shark DNA, and the venom attack on Skogenheim all continued bothering me in ways I couldn’t fully explain.

But regardless of how uncomfortable the truth was, I couldn’t lie to her. "You know I can't do that Anisia. The tests prove that it's not my child."

The pain in her expression deepened immediately, but before either of us could continue, Serenity interrupted while attempting to stabilize her. "Will, can you get Droid L-84 over here?"

I nodded silently and turned away to find help while Anisia’s breathing became increasingly frantic behind me.

As I moved through the battlefield searching for Droid L-84, I could still hear Serenity calmly guiding Anisia through the pain. Around them, surviving Viking warriors created distance to give them room while the aftermath of the battle continued unfolding throughout the city.

Serenity carefully helped Anisia remove her black leather thigh boots before loosening the blue leather jumpsuit around her lower body. The image itself felt surreal beyond comprehension. A woman was going into labor directly in the middle of a conquered battlefield surrounded by corpses, smoke, and ruined gothic architecture beneath the crimson skies of Spinewald.

Anisia screamed in pain repeatedly while clutching Serenity’s arms. Every contraction appeared worse than the last. At one point she tried to yell my name, but the pain overwhelmed her before the words fully escaped her throat.

Serenity continued trying to keep her calm despite the increasingly disturbing situation. "It's going to be ok, Anisia."

Anisia kept pushing while trembling violently against the cold pavement. Minutes passed before something finally emerged, but what came out wasn’t normal.

A strange translucent birthing sack slid from her womb first. The sight alone caused nearby warriors to recoil uneasily. Then the sack moved. Something inside clawed violently against the membrane before tearing its way outward. Serenity immediately stepped backward in visible alarm as the creature fully emerged onto the stone pavement.

It resembled a malformed infant fused with something demonic and animalistic. Pale white flesh covered its body while blood-red stripes stretched across its limbs and torso. Its glowing red eyes opened almost immediately while jagged black spines protruded down its back like sharpened bone fragments. The creature’s limbs were unnaturally elongated, ending in tiny clawed hands that scraped against the ground as it let out a low distorted moan.

The sound didn’t resemble a human infant. It sounded wrong.

The thing immediately crawled toward Serenity with unnatural speed before slashing her white leather jumpsuit across the thigh with its claws. Serenity recoiled in shock while staring at the newborn creature in complete disbelief.

Anisia herself looked horrified. She didn’t understand what she was seeing any more than the rest of them did. The creature then turned toward her and began crawling in her direction.

Before it could reach her, plasma fire suddenly erupted across the battlefield. The blasts struck directly in front of the creature, forcing it backward in alarm as glowing plasma scorched the pavement beside it. Halrick and Astrid stood nearby with their plasma rifles raised. The battlefield fell silent again except for the low growling sounds coming from the newborn creature itself.

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CHAPTER 46: “CHILD & IMPOSTER” “VIKINGS WAR IN VALHALLA”