‧. .✦ʚ♡ɞ✦. .‧

Dawn approached, sweeping away the dark shades and replacing them with refreshing hues of orange and blue. Birds twittered loudly. Not many of the neighbours were up yet, which made their walk around the lake quite refreshing.

At most, they would find an elderly couple, morning joggers, or someone walking their dog. Maya was glad because it gave her more time alone with Val. 

Though there was one thing Maya was not a fan of.

“So early… I hate mornings,” Maya grumbled. She downed her cup of instant coffee and dumped it into the nearest trash bin, but it was barely enough. 

Drowsiness was apparent as Maya got barely a wink of sleep from working all night on her paper and talking with Val.

The Valkyrie, however, was wide awake, almost as if she was barely affected by her previous wounds or fatigue. She walked close behind Maya like an off-duty guard in leggings and sneakers, enjoying her morning after a run while Maya was still sipping on her third cup.

Maya didn’t even have to look behind or hear her—she simply knew Val was behind her.

“This is the place.” Maya pointed to the familiar bushes. “I’ve found you crash-landed here.”

Leaves still held pieces of cloth hanging from their thorns or splatters of blood on the foliage, soon to be washed away by the rain. 

Thank goodness we are still in the rainy season, keeping the heat at bay.

Her hopes weren’t up to find much, but hopefully something. Valkyries were warrior women—close to demigods. While Val certainly had the physique or presence for it, there wasn’t any weapon or armour. 

Val scanned the scene by touching the wet ground, the plants, trees, or just standing there and assessing, looking beautifully stunning. 

If there are no clues here, what should we do then?

Maya didn’t have much of an idea of what to do except wait for Val to remember something. Maybe look around until they find anything that stuck out—like trash cans, littered week-old newspapers, or random items like worn-out running shoes. 

I bet she didn’t lose one of these, huh? Maya snickered and glanced over to Val, who was watching her. Maya quickly stopped laughing and coughed. “Ahem, did you find something?” 

Val pointed to the sky, and Maya squinted at the sun.

“Crashed. 543 Meters. North-East,” Val said in her usual broken sentences. “Bend. Treetops. Might. Find. Something. That way.”

“Good work, detective.” Maya gave a thumbs up. “I, Watson, will help you. Let’s go and look.” 

Then, Maya’s stomach suddenly grumbled. She clutched it with a red face. “How about breakfast first? There’s a small market nearby with sandwiches.” 

Val nodded. “Yes. Hungry. Me. Too.” 

Armed with sandwiches and a bag filled with more—because Maya was too lazy to cook later—they ventured into the nearby forest and back on the trail to find Valkyrie gear. 

Val led the way, scanning the surroundings left and right with a vigilant posture and the focus of an eagle. 

Nibbling on her ham sandwich, Maya couldn’t help but keep looking at the Valkyrie hard at work.

“Place. Strange. Sensing. Something.” Val furrowed her brow with a stern gaze.

“Maybe it’s the weather? It’s supposed to rain later, and summer’s coming.” Maya waved her hand before her face and sat down on a tree trunk. 

She unwrapped another sandwich and took a bite. 

“Here. Yet. Not. Here. Strange.” Val wracked her head, ruffling up her hair as she massaged her temples with the back of her hands. “Something. Here. Where?” 

Maya snickered and suggested, "Maybe your Valkyrie senses aren’t fully charged yet? Care for a snack?" Val spun her head in her direction. 

Maya gulped down her food and apologised, “Sorry.” 

Val shook her head. “No. Need. Love. Your. Laugh.” 

“You do?” Maya blushed slightly. “I am full of terrible jokes, you know?” 

“Really?” Val put a hand on her hip. “Tell. One.”

“Fine, ok, ehm, lemme think.” Maya put a hand on her chin. Suddenly, she was out of ideas. Then she noticed a silver rim from a car lying next to the trunk she sat on. She picked it up and turned it before her. “Question: What do you call an animal you keep in your car? A Carpet!” 

Maya chortled at her own joke and clapped her hand against her thigh. Val wasn’t laughing, though. 

“Come on, that one was Holden, eh? Eh?” Still no reaction. “Poor audience today. No one appreciates a good pun nowadays—” 

“Maya. In. Hand. What?” 

“Hm? This?” Maya flipped the car rim. “It’s just a— HOLY!” 

Right in front of her eyes, the car rim transformed and expanded into a round silver shield, rimmed with runes and battle marks on the surface. 

Startled by the revelation, Maya shot up to her feet. 

“Shield. Mine.” 

“I can see that!” Maya exclaimed, examining the piece of weaponry. “Why was it—” 

Maya felt a cold and muddy grip on her ankle. She looked down and came face-to-face with the grey and decaying face of a zombified man crawling out of the ground. 

Maya shrieked.