Tracked: A Valkyrie Saga Book 2

I take a deep breath of the crisp early spring air and finish the last steps that will bring me to the plateau’s summit. The lush green land that has been in a deep slumber for the long winter months is finally starting to awaken. The Sky Goddess has gifted us with the same arid, temperate air that is mirrored in the human plane but here in the Doba plane, The Earth Warrior has also gifted us with an oasis. Dozens of different types of trees reach up towards the Sun God and the shoots of new flowers decorate the forest floor.

This is my favorite view. From here I can see all of Awenasa including the fields that we will soon sow. The entire valley is peaceful and full of life. A stark contrast to the landscape that stretches out from the same spot in the Human Realm. When I was just a little one, this spot is where Wiyot brought me to explain that I would one day be one of the four Gatekeepers that protect our sanctuary. He told me that the fate of everything the eye could see was in my hands. That I had to be wise and patient and knowledgeable and strong enough to stand as a protector of this realm. Because if I didn’t, our home would turn into dust.

He then shifted us both from the Doba plane and into the Look-Through plane of existence. Before my eyes, my beloved and alive land disappeared from sight and was replaced with a brown, dusty, and barren desert. The peaceful homes that were the heart of Awenasa were now gone. In their place, an unnatural black road with a yellow mane cut through the Earth Warrior’s sacred land. Bright light that did not belong to the Sun God or Moon Child caught my attention and caused a great fear to rise within me. The fear had only grown over the years and now I did everything in my power to ensure the safety of my people.

The Look-Through is our most powerful weapon and a mighty blessing from the Elementals. From here any number of my people could watch and learn about our enemy without them ever being the wiser. Stories of the humans and the human-bound Valkyries that remain among them have been carefully handed down throughout the lines of Gatekeepers. From our histories, I know how war and greed almost wiped out our entire race from the human plane. From hours, upon hours of watching, I know how cruel and power-hungry the human-bound Valkyries have become.

I cannot lay all of my faith in the barriers that protect the souls that have sought refuge within the Doba. I must remain vigilant. I must be patient enough to continuously gain wisdom. I must remain strong enough to defend our beloved Awenasa.

But unlike the Elder Gatekeepers before me, the Gods have doomed me to carry the weight of my responsibility alone. Our generation was only blessed with three Gatekeepers, instead of four. So even though watching the humans is my burden to bear, remaining vigilant over Awenasa has to take priority. Pala is acting as my eyes and ears to the human plane. Like me, she is blessed with Teleportation, so after I shift her to the Look-Through she can move anywhere in a blink of an eye. This week is the event that the human-bound Valkyries call a Matching for the to-be leader of the western most territory.

The Sun God is about to rest for the night. I must return to Awenasa and retrieve Pala from the Look-Through. She will give me a full report of what plans and secrets the human-bound Valkyries hold most dear.

-Nahuel Firebird, Gatekeeper