War of the Realms

by Kate O'Hearn

  “Silence!” ordered one of the dragonfly guards.

  Freya looked around at the guards. Most were middle-aged or older, but one looked to be around Archie’s age. He had intense gray eyes and four clear, narrow wings, folded tightly down on his back. He was barefoot and wore roughly woven shorts and a tight top that blended in with the lush green jungle environment. He wore a flat cap of leaves over his long brown hair. His eyes found and held Freya’s for a moment before he turned and looked away.

  “What do we do now?” Archie whispered.

  “I’m not sure,” Freya answered. “Maybe we can break away.”

  “Drowning must have addled your mind worse than mine,” Orus cawed from Freya’s shoulder. “This is Vanaheim, where magic reigns. You won’t get anywhere.”

  The dragonfly boy stepped closer and shoved Freya in the wings. “Do you not realize that we can hear you?”

  She shot an angry look back at him. “Well, you wouldn’t listen to us about the war—so I figured you weren’t paying attention now.”

  “You’re talking nonsense.” The boy snorted. “There isn’t going to be a war.”

  Archie turned on him. “Listen, Peter Pan, how stupid can you be! Of course it’s a war. And before long, I bet this Neverland of yours will be crawling with frost and fire giants.”

  “You’re lying,” the boy said. “All who come from Asgard lie.”

  “I’m not from Asgard,” Archie said. “I’m from Earth.”

  “Where?”

  “Midgard,” Freya corrected. “And whether you believe us or not, it won’t matter when the giants get here.”

  “Enough chatter,” the leader of the guards said. “Quinnarious, get away from them before they poison you with their words.” The leader pointed at Freya. “And you, Valkyrie, stop talking before I am forced to do something unpleasant to stop you.”

  The boy nodded to his commander and stepped back into the ranks while Freya shut her mouth and turned forward. They continued in silence.

  They were led through an area of dense trees and bushes. Vines grew along the ground and tangled around their feet while exotic, monkey-like animals and birds pressed in all around them, unbothered by their presence. Everything they had seen of Vanaheim was wild and untamed. Including its citizens.

  The leader of the guard stopped. He waved his hand in the air, and two large cages appeared. They looked to be made of bamboo and were held together with thin string.

  Loki was locked in one of the cages. He walked up to the bars and nodded at Freya but said nothing.

  “Inside,” the leader of the guards commanded as the door to the empty cage swung open on its own.

  When Freya hesitated, the leader raised his hand. She and Archie were shoved inside by an invisible force. Then the door slammed shut and string secured it tightly—all without anyone laying a single finger on them or the cage.

  “You will remain here until we figure out what to do with you,” the leader said.

  “Wait,” Freya cried. “You must believe us—Vanaheim is in danger! Once the giants conquer Asgard, they’ll come here. You must realize that.”

  “What happens here is no concern of yours,” the guard said. Just before he turned away, he raised his hand again. Freya’s sword and belt came away from her body and flew between the bars of the cage and into the leader’s hand.

  “You won’t need that again,” he said. The guard turned away and opened his dragonfly wings as he and his men launched into the air.

  “Wow. They’re like big faeries. You can’t even see their wings move,” Archie said, turning his head to follow their departure.

  “But they’re infinitely more dangerous,” Loki called.

  Freya moved to the side of the cage closest to Loki. “When did they get you?”

  “Moments after I left you. They caught me when I was still a bird. I’m surprised they let me return to this shape.”

  Freya inspected the bamboo bars and the string holding them together. It didn’t look that strong. She grasped a bamboo joint and started to pull. No matter how much strength she used, the bars didn’t even bend.

  “You think I haven’t tried that?” Loki sighed. “These cages could be made of paper, but they’re still too strong for us to break. There’s powerful magic binding us in here.”

  “How did Vanaheim not win against Asgard during that battle all those years ago?” Archie wondered. “If they had all this magic, they could have easily defeated Odin!”

  “They are most powerful in this realm. When they leave Vanaheim, their powers weaken. Even so, I don’t remember them being this strong.”

  “How do you know all this?” Archie asked.

  “Foolish ghost, you still don’t know who I am? I was there!”

  That surprised even Freya. She knew Loki was old, but she had never imagined he was that old. “You saw the war?”

  Loki casually inspected his fingernails. “Of course. Thor was very young and didn’t have his hammer yet, and I myself was just a boy, but I saw enough to know that the Vanir have changed a great deal since then. I doubt even Odin knows how powerful they’ve become. If we somehow manage to stop the war with the giants, Asgard may have another unexpected problem—Vanaheim.”

  Freya shook her head. “Let’s take it one war at a time!” She started to inspect every inch of her cage. It didn’t make sense. It was made of sticks and string—how could magic be strong enough to keep them inside?

  “What about you?” Freya asked. “Can’t you turn into a bird or something and fly out between the bars?”

  Loki slapped his hand to his head. “Why didn’t I think of that?” He shook his head and snapped, “Of course I’ve tried that! I’ve also turned into a giant to break the bars. But watch . . .”

  Loki shimmered and turned into a fly. Long before he could reach the bars, the cage magically shrank to meet the fly’s size. Another change and Loki turned into an elephant. Once again, the cage altered to meet the size with larger, thicker bars that the elephant couldn’t break free of.

  He returned to normal. “Any other brilliant ideas—O wise one?”

  “There’s no need to be sarcastic,” Freya said. “I was only trying to help.”

  Loki flopped down to the ground and crossed his legs. “Escape is impossible. We have to find another way, and soon. Each moment counts.”

  Freya didn’t need Loki to tell her how urgent the situation was. But in all her life, she had never encountered circumstances like these. There was magic in Asgard, present within the Light Elves and faerie communities, but nothing like this. Not even her Valkyrie strength could break the bars.

  As the day passed and the shadows of the large jungle leaves grew long, Freya was startled by the return of the guards. They didn’t fly in; they just appeared out of thin air.

  “Has anyone ever told you how annoying that is?” Loki snapped. He climbed to his feet and approached the bars of his cage. “Now are you ready to surrender to me?”

  Archie nudged Freya. “Is he serious? That attitude isn’t helping. If he’s not careful, he’s going to get us all shot!”

  “They don’t need guns here,” Freya whispered. “But I think I know what he’s doing, and it’s rather clever.”

  “What?” Archie asked.

  Freya was about to answer when she became aware of Quinnarious watching her. The young guard was standing near their cage and staring right at her. The expression on his face was unreadable. Freya tried to feel what he was thinking. For an instant she could sense him. Then he seemed to realize what she was doing and forced the connection to break. He continued to stare at her and shook his head ever so slightly, as if trying to convey a message to her.

  Freya nodded imperceptibly and stepped away from the bars, wondering what this was all about. She had a feeling there was more to Quinnarious than met the eye. She turned from him and focused on Loki’s exchange with the commander of the guards.

  “I told you, we’re not spies. Can’t
you get it through that thick, bug head of yours? War is coming. If you don’t get involved now, you’ll go down with the rest of us.”

  “Silence,” the guard commanded, waving his hand so that the door magically opened. “Come forward.”

  Loki crossed his arms over his chest. “Ah, no. Thanks all the same, but I think I’ll stay. You bugs can fly away and find a big spider’s web to play in.”

  “Come!” the commander ordered.

  Invisible arms caught hold of Loki and dragged him out of the cage. The moment he was free, Loki turned into the large black dragon and inhaled deeply to release a stream of fire on his captors. But even before he could let it go, the guard raised his hand and the cage behind him grew and enclosed the dragon. When Loki released his flame, it was contained within the cage and bounced back at him. The dragon roared in pain and rage and returned to Loki’s human form. His clothing smoldered and his hair was singed shorter. He patted out a lingering flame on his sleeve.

  “Shall we try this again?” the guard said calmly. “Or should I make it really uncomfortable for you?”

  Smoke and the stink of burned dragon followed Loki as he exited the cage again. “I don’t like you very much.”

  The guard opened his dragonfly wings and prepared to fly. “I don’t care.” He reached for Loki’s arm and lifted him lightly off the ground. In moments, the guards took to the air and carried Loki away.

  “How can these morons not know what’s coming?” Archie said, kicking the side of the bamboo cage. “They’ve gotta know what’ll happen if the giants beat Odin.”

  “Maybe they believe their magic will protect them,” Freya suggested. “It’s really powerful. Perhaps it will.”

  “Will magic save them if Yggdrasil is destroyed?” Orus asked.

  “No.” Freya looked up, watching the guards carry Loki away. “I wonder what they’ll do to him.”

  “Torture, probably,” Archie said. “Get him to talk.”

  “But we’ve already told them why we’re here. We’re not holding anything back.”

  “We’re not, but what about Loki?” Archie said. “Do you really trust him?”

  Freya considered a moment and shook her head. “No, not completely. He seems sincere, but I just don’t know.”

  “Me neither.”

  As the warm sun started to set, Freya and Archie inspected every inch of their cage. They tried lifting it to get under the bars. They tried untying the binding and anything else they could think of. But nothing worked.

  Night arrived and, with it, other jungle sounds. There was no light, and with the full jungle canopy above them, they couldn’t see if Vanaheim had a moon or stars. Large, unseen creatures moved noisily through the trees around them, but even with her Valkyrie vision, Freya couldn’t see what caused the sounds.

  She started to pace the confines of the cage as her thoughts went to her family. What was happening on Midgard? Were they safe? Had the giants arrived yet? Had the war started? There were so many questions, with no way of knowing the answers.

  * * *

  Sometime during the long night, the wild sounds of the jungle stilled. The silence was worse than the loudest noise.

  “I don’t think we’re alone,” Archie whispered as his eyes scanned the area. “Gee, what can you feel?”

  Freya cast out her senses, but once again, with Vanaheim teeming with life, it was hard to focus on any one thing. “I feel everything; that’s the trouble. But I agree with you. We’re not alone.”

  She stepped up to the side of the cage. “Whoever you are, show yourself! We know you’re out there!”

  Freya waited, but there was no response.

  “Coward!” Archie shouted.

  “Silence!” a hushed voice called. Quinnarious suddenly appeared beside the cage. His eyes were wide and wild, and he was carrying a small satchel made of woven leaves.

  “If you’re here to cause trouble, you can just turn around and fly away, bug boy,” Archie said.

  Quinnarious frowned. “I am here because I need to understand.”

  “Understand what?”

  “Everything,” the dragonfly boy said. “Vanaheim is in danger. I know it. But the Elders won’t tell us what’s happening. They’ve taken your friend to the Well of Knowledge, but they’ve been gone ages and haven’t returned.”

  “Loki’s not our friend,” Archie said. “We’re just traveling with him.”

  “What is the Well of Knowledge?” Freya asked.

  “It is where the truth is drawn out. No one can resist its powers. After Loki, they are planning to take you both there.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Archie said. “What’ll happen to us?”

  “They will make you drink from the well and then ask questions. If you tell the truth, you are safe. But if you lie, you will die in agony.”

  Archie looked at Freya. “Loki wouldn’t know the truth if it bit him! He’s toast!”

  “Why are you telling us this?” Freya said. “What does it matter to you what happens to us?”

  “When we first captured Loki, I heard Kreel talking with the others. They remembered him from stories of the ancient war. They said Loki caused a lot of trouble back then and will do so again. But then you came and everything changed. There is a lot of fear and hushed talk in the villages.”

  “Good!” Archie said. “There should be. War in the realms is real. You won’t escape it, and locking us away won’t change it.”

  “Some of us already know there is great trouble coming. But the Elders are trying to suppress our knowledge of it. They will seek to silence Loki and you before you can warn everyone. Even if he tells the truth, I know they will kill him. You too. But it has gone too far. Killing you won’t change what is coming.”

  Orus cawed, “They are going to kill us!”

  Quinnarious nodded. “The Vanir hate the Aesir. They won’t tolerate you here.”

  “But why?” Freya asked. “The war between our realms was a long time ago.”

  “It’s because of what you represent,” Quinnarious said. “You coming here could mean a change to our way of life. The Elders don’t want that. They want things to remain the same.”

  “But it won’t stay the same if the giants invade Vanaheim,” Archie said. “Quinn, you’ve got to let us out of here now!”

  “My name is Quinnarious,” the boy corrected. “Not Quinn, or that other name you called me, Peter—”

  “Okay, I’m sorry I called you Peter Pan,” Archie snapped. “But honestly, have you looked in the mirror lately? You look just like him.”

  “What are you saying?” Quinnarious challenged.

  “Both of you, stop it,” Freya said. “Archie called you Quinn because it’s easier than your full name. But it wasn’t meant as an insult.” Freya paused. “At least I don’t think it was.” She turned to Archie. “Who is Peter Pan?”

  “He’s from a book. He dresses just like Quinn and can fly too.”

  “Hello?” Orus cawed. “Does that really matter right now? Didn’t you hear him? The Vanir are going to kill us!”

  Freya turned back to Quinn. “Please, you must set us free. We know how to stop the war. That’s the only reason we came here. Not to change your way of life or to challenge the Elders. Just to stop the war.”

  “How?”

  “The combination of Vanir magic and Aesir strength should be enough to stop the giants.”

  Quinn shook his head. “Vanaheim will never join forces with Asgard. We called a truce long ago, but that doesn’t mean we trust Odin or would fight beside him.”

  “Then it’s over,” Archie said. “The giants will destroy us all.”

  Quinn considered for a moment. “Not necessarily. Even now some of us are planning to challenge the Elders. If you promise to help me, I will release you. Then I’ll show you the way out of Vanaheim.”

  “How can we possibly help you?” Freya asked. “It seems you have a lot more power than we do.”

  “Promise
to help me, and I’ll tell you everything.”

  “Why should we trust you?” Orus demanded.

  “Because if you don’t, Kreel and the others will come for you, question you, and then kill you—not because you spoke about the war, but because you come from Asgard. For them, that is crime enough.”

  Freya looked at Archie and Orus. “We don’t have much choice, then.” She turned back to Quinn. “You have my sworn word as a Valkyrie. If you let us out, we’ll help you. Then you’ll help us get out of Vanaheim.”

  “Agreed.”

  Quinn waved his hand in the air and the cage door swung open. “I really hope I can trust you. This is too serious to risk a mistake.”

  When Freya walked free, she nodded. “You can. Loki, I’m not so sure about. But if Archie, Orus, or I give you our word, we always keep it.”

  “So do I,” Quinn agreed. “Come, we must move. They’ll be here for you at dawn.” He opened his clear, insectile wings. “It’s this way—you’ll have to fly.”

  Freya put her arm around Archie and opened her own black-feathered wings. She leaped into the air and, with Orus flying at her side, followed behind Quinn. They kept close to tree level, and Freya realized he was trying not to be seen.

  All through the long night they flew. A canopy of bright stars shone above them while three sullen moons rested on the distant horizon. After a time, there was the blush of predawn glow rising behind them.

  “How much farther?” Freya called.

  “Not far,” Quinn said. He pointed ahead of them. “Just beyond that mountain range.”

  They had flown only a short distance farther when Freya and Archie felt powerful, invisible hands catch hold of them and start to drag them from the sky.

  Freya flapped her wings hard and fought against the unyielding force, but nothing could halt their descent. Their screams echoed together as they were pulled through the canopy of trees and crashed down to the ground far below.

  9

  FREYA HIT THE GROUND HARD. But wearing her breastplate kept her from serious injury—though it didn’t stop the pain in her shoulder when she landed on her side.