The first sounds of chaos reached Sigrid's ears as she was tucking an orphan into bed, the young boy's eyes fluttering shut to the soothing melody of her lullaby. A distant crash, like splintering wood, made her instinctively pull him closer, shielding his small frame with her body.
"Stay here. Don't make a sound," she whispered, planting a soft kiss on his forehead before rising from the bed, her habit swishing around her ankles.
More sounds followed - guttural shouts, heavy footfalls outside the orphanage. Sigrid felt her pulse quicken as she moved towards the source of the commotion, dread coiling like a serpent in her gut. She already knew, deep down, what awaited her.
Bandits. Marauders who saw only easy prey in this sanctuary of innocence.
A primal rage flared within Sigrid, banishing all thoughts of peace and penance. These children were her world, her redemption - and she would not allow harm to befall them, not while she still drew breath.
She hurried to her quarters, yanking open the heavy oak door and moving towards the large chest at the foot of her bed. Her trembling fingers found the iron lock, undoing it with practiced ease before throwing open the lid to reveal what lay inside.
Steel greeted her gaze - cold, unforgiving steel that sparked myriad memories. The battered breastplate, the ornate helmet with its defiant wings... Relics of a life she had left behind, of a warrior whose hands were forever stained with blood.
Sigrid reached in and retrieved the helmet, holding it against her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut. The distant sounds of the orphanage under siege faded, replaced by a steady cadence that reverberated through her very being.
"Hearken to my call, Valkyrie... You cannot escape your destiny, your divine purpose. Shed this meek facade and embrace the glory of battle once more..."
The voice, ancient and commanding, seemed to issue from the very steel cradled against her bosom. Sigrid's breath became ragged as she was besieged by visions of bloodshed - of cities burning, of blades clashing in battlefields...
"You are MINE, Valkyrie! forged in the fires of conquest! Let the drums of war rouse your spirit and drown out these mewling cries for peace!"
Gritting her teeth, Sigrid pulled the helmet over her head, letting it engulf her in shadow, encasing her in a remnant of who she once was..
"Never..." she growled, her voice taking on a dangerous timbre as she wrenched her battered longsword from its resting place. "I will not be your instrument of destruction. Not anymore..."
The sounds of the orphanage under siege seemed to crescendo, adding their chaotic chorus to the drumbeats pounding in her mind. Sigrid tightened her grip around the sword's hilt, resolve burning bright in her eyes despite the encroaching shadows.
"I am Sister Sigrid, sworn protector of these children. And if I must take up arms once more to defend them..." Her next words came out as a guttural snarl, "Then so be it!"
She would be both shield and sword this night – not as a blind agent of destruction but as a penitent guardian.
Rain began to pour from the heavens as if the sky itself wept at the prospect of such violence on sacred ground. Droplets pattered against the windowpane rhythmically, accompanying the war drums that beat only for her.
Sigrid emerged from the orphanage, her helmet casting shadows over her eyes that were already dark with resolve. The rain poured down in sheets, drenching her habit instantly, turning the once orderly grounds into a muddy morass. But the deluge seemed to wash away any hesitation that lingered within her, the sky weeping for those who could not.
With the longsword gripped tightly in her rough hands, she could feel its familiar weight anchoring her to this moment – to the vow she had made as Sister Sigrid. She stepped forward, her legs cutting through the mire with steadfast purpose. Her breath fogged before her, merging with the mist that rose around the battling figures.
Lightning illuminated the place, revealing several brutish figures advancing towards the building.
For a moment, everything stood still. The rain seemed to freeze mid-air and the bandits halted in their tracks. Then they turned towards Sigrid – towards this lone nun who dared to challenge them. A cruel smirk spread across their faces as they began to close in on her.
As she braced herself for the battle to come, Sigrid couldn't help but glance towards the heavens. 'O Forlorn, protect the children,' she prayed silently before lowering her gaze back towards her approaching enemies.
"By my blade and by my blood… I am Sister Sigrid!" she roared above the storm's rage. "I am ready!"
