Izzoradelle, the Drowned Shieldmaiden Part III: The Serpent

This is a series that I wrote over a year ago while playing on a Valheim community server. The stories have been edited to remove some player tags and player clans to provide privacy to those individuals.

If you wish to experience this breathtaking world for yourself, you can check out the official Valheim website here or download the game on Steam here.

And no, I'm not sponsored. I just love this game! (:

Don't miss out on Part I & II!

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Nightmares became infrequent. In their place came the otherworldly dreams that the other Vikings had described to me.

Here in the void rivers ran uphill and green shoots turned downward back into the earth. Many great trees rose into the stars, their branches alight in flame. Another showed my hand gripped onto the prow of a ship while delightful salty spray gathered in my hair.

Yes, I had dreams of sailing. It seems at one point in my life I was a companion to the sea, rather than its prey. However, many a time these dreams of sailing would morph into nightmares of drowning once more; nightmares of a massive glowing eyeball tracking me as I sank to the ocean bottom.

I spoke these truths to the Vikings I had spent the most time with, the Valkris. Their theory was that my ship had been decimated by a rare Midgard serpent, one once thought lost to the ages.

Yet, here in Valheim, the serpents were bountiful and were hunted regularly for their meat. I asked immediately if I could witness one of these hunts, and it was agreed that I would come. Maybe, by confronting one of these creatures, I could face my nightmare head-on.

Stepping onto the deck of a swaying longship filled my gut with knots and stones. I was afraid I would sink the ship myself with the weight I bore. I tried to remind myself that my body would remember this on instinct and that the sea could not kill me again. Being dead spared me in that regard.

The Valkris proved themselves efficient and kind as they guided the longship out to sea and several of their members began cracking jokes to lighten the mood. I found myself genuinely laughing for the first time since I was dropped into this realm. It made my face tight and my stomach sore, but the discomfort was a welcome one.

Night settled over the sails, and a brisk rain began to soak into my blue troll cloak. I was on edge. I switched from sitting on one of the benches to gripping the mainmast, needing something solid to hold onto with my hands.

Baldur and Gorm who were managing the steering and sails commented on my shift, once again saving my thoughts from despair as a smile once again found my face. Letti, the first Viking who had found me in the meadows all those weeks ago, had kind eyes set upon me which relaxed me further. It was safe to say that she had become a precious companion.

Then, beneath the thick mist of the rain, the star-filled water was disturbed by the massive body of a green, scaley creature.

I watched in a mixture of awe and horror as the beast raised its head above the waves and shrieked a most abhorrent sound. My companions readied their bows while Gorm kept the ship at a steady pace. I followed suit, peeling my fingers from their death grip on the mast and placing them upon the taut string of my hunter's bow.

Dag, another non-clan member who had joined the hunt, handed me a bundle of gleaming obsidian arrows.

"Here, you'll need these," he said with a grin before firing upon the beast.

My blood began to boil with adrenaline as I nodded my thanks and notched my first arrow.

The eyes of the beast were just like the ones in my dream, but much smaller which gave me some confidence. The glow from the beast's irises lit up the water near the ship as it began to gain ground on us. I aimed for those devil's eyes and began my assault upon the creature.

It felt as if time slowed. Every arrow that flew from my bow felt like a mark carved into my deepest fears. Blood leaked into the waves as one after the other, the arrows I unleashed buried themselves into the beast's eyes. Each wet thunk of the arrows resurfaced memories of that storm in my previous life, of the screams of my Vikings as they succumbed to death upon the icy waves. A flash of grey scales and yellow teeth overlayed the green scales and white teeth of the beast before me.

The Valkris were more strategic with their shots, aiming for the softer undersides, but none commented on my rage-filled expression or the intensity of my draw arm. They knew what this first kill meant for me.

That moment stretched on into the night, but it was over, even as I let loose two more arrows into the empty sea; tears streaking down my face.

Letti approached me from behind, a hand laid upon my shoulder. "It is done, Viking."

THE END

Author's Note:

I really, really love the world Iron Gate Studios created, so it's more than likely I'll keep sharing the stories I created while playing their game with different communities.

The Drowned Shieldmaiden Saga was the first I wrote while on a community server. It was a way to introduce my character and establish her goals, fears, strengths, and weaknesses. As I played more with other people, her story developed naturally and I had TONS of inspired content at my fingertips!

This will not be the last time you see Izzoradelle! Her journey has only begun!