Ever As Fate Must was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.
Description[]
Eivor followed Grendel's trail.
Dialogue[]
Eivor followed the mold tracks out of the church.
- Eivor: Grendel must have tracked this mold here, but from where?
The trail leads south-west.
She came upon the corpse of a deer.
- Eivor: More mold. I am on the right path.
Further down the path she found a dead pig.
- Eivor: The source of the mold must be near.
At the end of the was some scaffolding and a canopy set up over large hole.
- Eivor: The mold trail leads to this pit.
Eivor dived in the pit and started exploring the cave system of Grime's Graves. Before long the tunnels filled with a noxious gas.
- Eivor: The reek. Ugh.
On a table, she found a diary entry.
- Old Diary:
My boy. My sweet little Grendel. My eyes see nothing but a helpless tiny thing. Perhaps his form is like no other, but my heart feels an immense love. Like God's love. I cannot fail him. They say he will not live long. But I will do anything for my baby, my Grendel.
- Eivor: This woman speaks of her child, Grendel. A cruel fate the gods have woven.
She went deeper into the caves and found another entry.
- Tattered Diary:
My Grendel thrives in the face of so much. Our village. Other children. His own body. My love amd the grace of God are all he needs. We will move away from the rest. He needs not their fearful looks, their vile taunts, their evil threats.
Deeper still, another entry.
- Musty Diary:
Grendel's sins are for God alone to judge. My simple boy knows not his own strength. Forgive him, Lord, as he knows not what he does. My duty is to help him thrive. And I shall. I love him. I love him so. My sweet little boy. My Grendel.
A woman called out, hearing Eivor approach.
- Grendel's mother: Grendel? Is that you, my boy? Grendel? Come to Mother.
The smell of the mold began affecting Eivor.
- Eivor: My head swims with fever dreams. What. Just. Happened.
- Mother: Grendel? Grendel! Is that you? Answer me!
Eivor found a key.
- Eivor: A key! So fitting, yet what use is a key with no lock?
She unlocked a door hidden away and coughed as the toxic air grew thicker.
- Eivor: Mold, just mold. Sending visions, like a seer's brew.
Eivor saw a woman with horns attacking her.
- Mother: You! You smell like my son. My son's blood! Where is he? Where is my boy? His blood is on your hands, you monster! You killed my child, my only child! My sweet precious boy!
Eivor defeated the creature, and the air began to clear. After a moment, the vision dissipated, leaving behind not a monster or witch, but the old farmer she'd met twice before.
- Eivor: What wickedness is this?
Eivor knelt down beside the woman.
- Eivor: You. The woman from the farm. You lied about the Danes.
- Mother: To protect my boy. He never meant to hurt anyone. But the others, they could not see. He kept growing in body, but not in mind. He was my boy. My sweet little Grendel.
The woman passed away.
- Eivor: Wulfhilda must know the truth of this.
Eivor made her way out of the caves and back to the church, where the abbess awaited.
- Eivor: Abbess.
- Wulfhilda: Eivor, you live yet! Pray, tell all.
- Eivor: I slew a monster that was but a man. Then I tracked his mother and killed her too.
- Wulfhilda: His mother!
- Eivor: She struck at me in the dark, and I defended myself. But it was no hero's deed.
- Wulfhilda: Those poor souls. I shall pray for them tonight at Barking Abbey.
- Eivor: Leaving already?
- Wulfhilda: I must. The bishop is eager for a full accounting of the Beast of East Anglia.
- Eivor: Leave my name out of your tale. It is nothing to be remembered for.
- Wulfhilda: Understood. Perhaps it would work better as a song. I dabbled in verse as a youth. It may be time to lift the pen again. But what story shall I write? The full truth of this thing may be hard to fathom.
- Eivor: Give them a comforting one ... about heroes and monsters. For the truth, the bone-cold truth of everything, is often hard to take. It cuts like a cruel north wind on the neck.
- Wulfhilda: God saves us all, Eivor. I take my leave now, but will write you once my poem is complete. Farewell.
- Eivor: Thank you, and farewell to you, too, Wulfhilda. Make it a good tale.
Some time later, Eivor received a letter in her box in Ravensthorpe.
- Wulfhilda's Letter
To the esteemed warrior
Eivor of the Ravens,
As promised, I have completed my manuscript regarding the peculiar series of incidents we encountered in East Anglia.
Enclosed is a copy for your perusal. As to your request, names and deeds have been changed in the creation of a legend which shall invigorate our nation.
Yours in God's name,
Mother Wulfhilda
Abbess of Barking.
- Eivor: An inspiring tale, far more fitting than that terrible day. At least she changed my name. And she got a dragon in. Always with the dragons.
Outcome[]
Eivor found and killed Grendel's mother and inspired Wulfhilda to write poetry about their ordeal.