Freya's fear bleeds over into me, I reach out to the closest source of magic, and pull on it filling myself with power, "Vidar!" I hear Ayana shout, but I grow tunnel vision as I hear a pained shout in my mind.
Bolting out of the hut in the direction, I feel Freya, I run faster as a familiar scream rings out.
I arrive at my destination finding Esther on her knees in front of a woman dressed all in black, the woman almost seems to be hovering over the ground, Esther is on her knees desperately begging the woman, "Please sister, don't do this, don't take my daughter!"
Dahlia looks like Anya Chalotra though after she's been airbrushed and touched up by special effects artsiest, Dahlia doesn't even pretend to act like she isn't hearing Esther's pleas, though seeing Dahlia continue gliding forward robe billowing out behind her in such a way that Severus Snaps could learn a thing or two from her.
Feeling both mine and Freya's hearts beating…pounding in our chests, my heart almost feels like it's in my throat as Dahlia reaches out and grabs Freya.
As it doesn't seem like anyone has noticed me I summon my clone, it appears next to me dressed as I am dressed, I send it a quick mental command to start making his way back to Ayana.
'I doubt I can do anything about Dahlia…but maybe I can catch her interest.' I think as I reach out and grab hold of the life force…the magic in the surrounding nature, my siphoning power in full force as the tall grass around wilts around me and the ground turns black and lifeless and the trees shrivel up to pencil sized husks.
"LET HER GO ! ! !" I shout at a volume that makes my ears ache, the air visibly ripples in front of me, as the wild untamed power expels itself as fast as it enters me, the raw wild unrestrained magic feels orgasmic but unfortunately for me, my body is neither used to channeling such amounts of raw energy or mature enough to properly control it, I can feel the energy burning me from inside out…maybe I should have been training more dutifully but I'd always avoided draining the life force of nature, so that I could use it as magic, because even though I know it's dumb I worried that Ayana wouldn't want or love me any more.
Dahlia is now looking at me curiously like I am an interesting variable she never expected to encounter, "What an interesting consequence of my spell you are, to consume the magic of others and the forces of nature…unfortunately you're not the first born or I'd take you, be glad I keep my promises unlike my whore sister." Dahlia appears in front of me again in a flurry of movement I couldn't track, kneels down in front of me and says to me, as she extends her right hand cups my chin, my knees give out and my vision blurs, her hand feels surprisingly warm and soft against my cheek.
"Please, Freya and I are one person, her heart is my heart, her life is my life." I murmur in desperation, my gut twists as Esther starts to plead and calls me an it,
"Take it instead, sister I have no use for such a foul thing unlike you." Esther cries and begs while I force myself up off the ground to glare up at Dahlia, I don't bother trying to attack her, it'd be pointless…and maybe she's not an all powerful witch yet, still she's certainly powerful enough to kill me before I can siphon her magic, I'm almost a hundred percent sure on that.
'Wow, I'm an "it" I honestly didn't realize you hated me that much…Esther.'
"Such a sweet and fool hardy child…at least you're loyal unlike your mother…" Dahlia whispers as she appears in front of me again in a flurry of movement I couldn't track.
"You've injured yourself badly…I can feel your connection to the girl…it is as you say your hearts are one, an opposite born to balance her powers, very well boy you will get what you have asked for, now sleep." Dahlia whispers to me as her right hand comes up to rest near my temples.
'Wait…really…awesome, I'll get to spend more time with Freya while plotting your downfall with Mikaela through my clone body.' I think happily before a sudden pressure weighs down on my brain.
I can hear Finn and Freya crying, I try to lash out at and absorb Dahlia's invading magic, but I pass out just in time to see Dahlia flicker away with a smirk on her lips.
~~ — — — — — — — — — — — — ~~
"FREYA ! ! !" I shout as I bolt upright into a sitting position, "VIDAR, YOU'RE AWAKE ! ! !" I hear Freya's happy shout, I start to look around a bit and find I'm inside of a large home partially built into a cave, before I'm being knocked back into the bed by a blonde haired ball of energy.
My arms instinctively come up and wrap around Freya. I can feel her crying against my chest, "You're finally awake, you've been sick with fever for a week. Aunt Dahlia made a spell to help you! We're going to learn magic Vidar!" Freya's voice is so happy and filled with relief I find myself cracking a smile.
While splitting my focus to deepen my connection with my clone I can feel the furs of the bed I share with Ayana, Ayana's arms wrapped around me as if we should be sleeping.
~~ — — — — — — — — — — — — ~~
With Ayana
~~ — — — — — — — — — — — — ~~
"Easy, my child, the fever is still affecting you…I don't want it to claim you as it did sweet little Freya." Ayana murmurs to me.
'What…fever…Freya said something about a fever as well, does Ayana not know about Dahlia?' I wonder as I look at her, through my clone's eyes, before letting the connection slip and returning my focus to Freya.
~~ — — — — — — — — — — — — ~~
Back to Dahlia
~~ — — — — — — — — — — — — ~~
Dahlia is now hovering over me with a look of detached concern as she looks down at me, "Thank you for healing me Aunt Dahlia." I thank the woman and she develops a genuine look of surprise…and almost seems to not know how to react, "And thank you for allowing Freya and I to stay together."
"You…you are welcome Vidar." Dahlia still seems to be put off by being thanked, 'Wow, just how damaged is Dahlia?' I wonder.
Days with Dahlia aren't particularly warm but Freya and I manage to make the best of it, I wouldn't call Dahlia cruel perse but she definitely hasn't had a lot of contact with people and by extension children, so she's a bit harsh, severe and awkward, but not so much in a cruel way.
I think my being here has really helped with Freya and Dahlia's dynamic as well. Freya isn't crying all the time begging to go home, nor is she trying to escape.
A slight bonus on being on the other side of the world is that, when my main body is asleep I can take over my clone body, but it's mentally exhausting even if I do get physical rest.
In the village with Ayana I play the role of a grieving brother who lost half his heart and soul perfectly. Nearly a month passes by and with Dahlia's training something she came up with on a fly my capabilities with siphoning magic have increased by leaps and bounds, Freya and I even discover that I can pull magic from her through our link.
Though it's extremely taxing on Freya, Dahlia makes us train everyday, because the more we do it the stronger Freya will become to the point she could probably provide me with enough magical energy to perform basic witchcraft effortlessly.
~~ — — — — — — — — — — — — ~~
During this time back in the village Vonya visits my clone near every day after my "fever" broke though I'm a bit more distant with my best friend than I should be, just because of how taxing it is to try and operate both bodies while one is asleep, and my clone can perfectly be me because it is me it just isn't the same.
Right now I'm in my clone body is spending time with Ayana, while I'm stuck agonizing over explaining to Mikael where Freya truly is…and about my ability which I'm sure he'd just wave off as a valuable magic.
Hearing the sounds of the welcoming horns sounding those thoughts are pushed aside with the happiness of Mikael's raiding party's return I take full control of my clone, and even though I am exhausted, I suddenly find myself filled with a newfound strength and energy.
I run to the docks feeling my lungs burn from the cool air and I slam into Mikael before he's out of the river.
My emotions are all over the place, I can't help the smile that forms on my face at having him home, even as I start to cry at Freya not being here to greet him.
Mikael let's out a boisterous laugh as he lifts me up into his arms and hugs me.
"My son, I have missed you as well…Where is Freya? I thought you both would tackle me into the river!" Mikael expresses mirthfully as he hugs me tightly against his leather and steel armor, and a sob slips out of me at his question.
'If I tell him the truth now…he'll just get himself killed or mind raped by Dahlia…I can't tell him the truth…not yet as we are as he is…for now…I have to go with the story everyone believes, the story that has been enforced by my own severe fever.' I tell myself and it feels like I'm stabbing not only myself in the back but also Freya and Mikael.
"I'm sorry father, I failed you…I failed Freya." I sob and look up to see Mikael's smile falter before he hugs me tighter but not in an unwanted or painful way.
"Mikael…we should speak privately." I hear Esther say timidly.
"Yes Mikael…I agree with Esther we should speak privately…this is a painful matter for all of us." I hear Ayana's gentle voice and her hands on my side offering to take me from Mikael, but Mikael and I hug each other tighter…almost painfully, Mikael is no fool, he doesn't need it spelled out for him.
"Leave all of you." I hear Mikael's stealy command and people rushing to leave.
"Mikael…we almost lost Vidar…to the fever…that he received while visiting Freya…Freya succumbed to the fever that almost claimed Vidar." Esther and Ayana explain together and I feel a sob tear through Mikael that matches my own before both of us cry an anguish filled cry that I knew was heard across the village.
'Forgive me father…we will all be reunited in the future.'' I plea in my mind, while making a vow to see my family made whole by any means necessary, even the love potion in that boon that I received that I find disgusting.
~~ — — — — — — — — — — — — ~~
Even with the overwhelming stimuli that comes with splitting my focus between my main body with Dahlia and Freya and my clone body in the village.
I'm happy because for the first time, I feel like I have Mikael all to myself and, even though it makes me hate myself, I enjoy having his full attention as he holds me close and carries me around like he did when I was a baby.
My happiness comes grinding to a halt as I spot Vonya kneeling in front of a burning pyre with her head down, her shoulders trembling.
"Poor girl, her mother fell in battle three days from here in an ambush against a hostile tribe." Mikael mutters and I twist out of his hold and run over to Vonya and hug her from behind.
'I know I'm intruding on her family's morning rights but she has always been here for me, especially after Freya's supposed "death".' I mutter in my mind as Vonya turns around in my arms and hugs me tightly, crying against my neck.
I see Mikael walk over to stand beside Vonya's father, Rangnar…the man tenses up at Mikael's presence.
"Jarl Mikael." Rangar greets father with a mix of respectfulness and disdain.
"Shipmaker, I believe our children are a good match…we should enter them in a formal betrothal." Mikael commanded.
"It is as you say Jarl." Rangar replies to Mikael, his voice holding the slightest bit of tremble to it.
'Huh…Vonya and I as husband and wife…that doesn't sound too bad.' I think as I rub Vonya's back.
"Thank you Vidar." Vonya murmurs through a trembling voice as her tears stop.
"Humph, you're to be my sword wife so it's natural." I puff up my chest and proclaim proudly even as my cheeks burn crimson in embarrassment.
"Shieldwife." Vonya corrects me with her own cheeks turning pink.
I feel soft fingers run through my hair and look up to see Ayana smiling down at me though, her smile is a bit sad, almost hurt as she looks between Vonya and I.
"Come my child, it's time to begin your training…Vonya…I know you'll make a wonderful wife for my Vidar when you're both older." Ayana says softly though her voice cracks as she does so.
"Thank you lady Ayana." Vonya thanks Ayana with a bright happy smile even as her cheeks turn from pink to pure crimson.