75- Lesson 1 begins

Sirius turned to look at the Valkyrie behind him with his red glowing eyes. Their zombie like bodies seemed unholy for their angelic reputations. They stood and placed their heads back on their shoulders.

The blood of Nanna pulsed through his veins. Though he was not as strong as Taz, the ancient blood had made him stronger. He spoke to Ériu without turning.

"You're just testing my vampire powers, aren't you? You want me to be a monster without Taz, then?"

Ériu nodded, her lips curling into a smile. Sirius didn't need to see her face; he saw her shadow move and her answer registered in his mind.

"Fine." His fangs bared, and he leapt at the nearest Valkyrie.

She beat her wings and shot into the air, terror filled her eyes— she had seen what he had become in the realm of Asgard.

How can I escape???! She panicked. She knew he had wings!

However he didn't follow her somehow; he couldn't reach her. He jumped at her angrily, and no wings appeared.

Perhaps his wings have limitations? She thought.

"Be gone then you creature of the night!" She cried out, signaling to the Valkyrie that it was alright to fight. All of the Valkyrie pointed their bows at him.

"Fire!!" The lead Valkyrie cried out.

Sirius dodged and his hand whipped out and grabbed an arrow out of the air.

Saoirse was amazed. She leaned forward in her chair. "I didn't know he could do that!"

Ériu smiled. "I take it you're actually going to enjoy this match then?"

Sroka climbed onto Saoirse's lap and Lachlan sat on the other knee. At some point the kids had come back.

Ériu's son climbed back into his baby carrier as well. The women didn't mind now if the kids were there. The worry of their father dying was gone. Now he had found a purpose.

"Vampires are fast." Ériu said as Sirius dodged more arrows and then leapt unto the air. "They can jump high." She said as he rammed the arrow in his grasp into the Valkyrie in charge's heart. "And they have superhuman strength." She said. The arrow pierced through armor to imbed itself and broke off into Sirius' hand.

He took the arrows from her quiver and rammed one into the next Valkyrie's chest before he fell back to the ground. There were 4 Valkyrie left.

"He isn't done yet!" Ériu said drawing Saoirse's attention to the other side of the box. "Here comes the respawn!" She exclaimed. Ten more Valkyrie suddenly began rising from the dead in the pile of bones on the ground.

"What???!!!" Saoirse cried out.

"They aren't truly dead in Nefilheim until they turn to dust" She explained. The Valkyrie that Sirius had just taken care of crumbled as if on cue. Then they blew away as he landed on the ground, black dust swirling.

Ériu explained. "In Nefilheim, the fallen return, over and over, unless banished to the void."

Suddenly a Valkyrie pulled out an arrow that was etched with golden runes. In her hand it began to glow. "Stand Down creature of the night and face the light of Odin!" She cried.

Sirius fell to a knee as other Valkyrie joined her in flight and armed their bows with an arrow of similar design.

The tips didn't have arrowheads, but balls of light. The light emitted from it matched that of the sun. It was impossible for him or saoirse to look upon it. Sirius' skin began to burn.

Sirius wailed in pain as his skin began to smolder under the blazing light of the Valkyrie arrows. He fell to the ground, shielding his face with his arm, but the searing heat only intensified. His instincts screamed at him to retreat. But there was nowhere that he could go. He couldn't hide because the ice Nanna had left behind reflected the light back at him like mirrors.

He glanced back at Ériu briefly, her smug expression goading him on. He could hear Saoirse's gasp behind him and feel her skin burning her. That was enough to anchor him—he couldn't lose now, not in front of her.

The Valkyrie leader raised her glowing arrow higher. "Creature of the night, yield! Your kind was never meant to stand against the light of the gods!"

The other Valkyrie closed in, their weapons glowing brighter. The burning sensation intensified, his skin peeling away in places to reveal raw muscle beneath. Sirius filled with fear and Saoirse held her breath.

Sirius would normally get scales at this point, but he couldn't. He gritted his teeth and leapt into the air and thrust his fangs into the surprised Valkyrie's neck. She knew he was a vampire, but she had never expected him to use his fangs.

His burning skin absorbed her life force and her skin seemed to burn as pieces of hers was absorbed to heal his. "Enough! Please…." She whimpered. He faltered a bit and released her, she collapsed to the floor and he took her bow and snapped it. Then he stepped on the glowing arrow, crushing it under his foot, it released a glowing crystal and shards splintered on the ground under his shoe.

He seized another arrow, tearing it from the hands of the next Valkyrie and crushed it into golden dust. His skin was burning again, so he bit down on the woman's arm and sucked.

This was the third time he had blood in this battle and it was beginning to grow on him. Without taz there, he was able to taste the sweet liquor and feel the tingle of excitement intoxicate him slightly. He sucked again and smiled.

This made the Valkyrie cry out in extasy.

Saoirse didn't like that.

Sirius felt her gaze on him so he decided to end it quick. He sucked until she burst into ash. "Sorry." He said grimly, "you shouldn't have enjoyed it, only my wife gets to enjoy it when I drink from her."

He winked at saoirse and she turned beet red.

Ériu laughed. "I like him! He's funny!"

He leapt at a third and broke her arrow. He was making a routine out of it. An arrow shot at him and he pulled it out.

He moved on until suddenly he grimaced, the burning powder left behind from the arrow burned his shoulder. He grimaced; It felt like poison. His pulse beat in his ears.

"Embrace the golden relic of Asgard!" The Valkyrie who shot him exclaimed "you were never meant to be exposed to the light of Asgard you freak!" he hurled the arrow at her but she pinched her fingers together and drew a circle with her pinky, thumb and index and a shield of light appeared in her hand. The arrow bounced off of it.

"Perfect." He said, his teeth glinting with a a dark grin and he snatched it away from her and then hurled the shield like a discus, slicing all of the other arrows; shattering them. The land once again became dark, lit only by the lava. And the shield she had made returned to him. He gripped it with pain as it felt like gripping a hot pan. Does everything they fight with have celestial light?

Enough of this! A Valkyrie screamed. She picked Sirius up and carried him. Then as she hit the barrier from above she dropped him towards the ice spikes. Hoping to impale him.

For a moment, he felt the familiar pull in his back—the promise of wings—but they didn't manifest, his soul taunted him. 

"Aaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!