"And I take it your father was a great warrior?"
"One of the best," Andromeda said, keeping her eyes lowered. Her voice was quiet, almost consumed by the noise of the camp. Budli, still oblivious to her distress, simply shrugged.
"You know, in all the time I've known you, I don't think we've ever discussed your parents."
Henry thought he should say something to stop the conversation, but without any idea of what was going on, he worried he'd only make this worse. Finally, Andromeda shook her head. "It's not important. If you'll excuse me, I'm suddenly not feeling well."
Frederick nodded at one of the guards who bore the snowflake crest of Argath. "Of course. Brand here will arrange a tent for you."
"Thank you, Fa...Frederick. King Frederick. I'm sorry. I forgot myself."
The king waved off the apology. "You've been through more than most. I can hardly blame you for a little slip of the tongue."
"Thank you," she said again before turning to Henry. "If you wouldn't mind walking with me?"
"Of course," Henry said with a slight bow.
"Tell me, Brand," Andromeda said once they'd walked a little ways. "How does Argath fare?"
"As well as can be expected," he said. "The witch Zuab tried to take over our kingdom and would've succeeded if not for Master Henry here. Now, the threat of Neustad is gone forever, and our alliance with the Nordi Mountains is stronger than ever. The only thing that concerns us is the lack of an heir."
Henry offered Andromeda an arm to steady herself. "An heir?"
"Yes, Master Henry. The king is not a young man."
"He's hardly old and grey," Andromeda said.
"Of course not, milady, but after his disastrous marriage to Zuab, many are afraid he'll balk at finding a new wife."
Andromeda closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "He won't."
"I certainly hope not."
"Realm before king," Andromeda quoted. "Isn't that what he always says?"
The guard nodded. "As you say."
Andromeda started slowing down. The guard gave Henry a questioning look, but Henry waved him on and Brand moved forward to give them a measure of privacy. Andromeda started to speak half a dozen times, but she always stumbled after a word or two.
"You really don't have to tell me," Henry said.
"How many times have you saved my life?" she asked. "How many times have you saved my family and my kingdom?"
Apparently none, he thought. Not if those men aren't your father. "That doesn't matter."
"It's the price the Oracle demanded," she said, making his blood run cold. "In order to drink from it, I had to surrender who I was. I am no longer the princess, and so Kurnugi's influence no longer clouds my memories."
A lump formed in Henry's throat. The Oracle had demanded the same thing of both of them. Only Andromeda had dared pay that price.
"But why?" he asked. "The whole reason you came with me was to save your people. Now..."
"They are still my people," she said "I remember Aetheopia, Argath, and Gothia, and so many more. From the shining halls of Camelot, to a world inhabited by human mushrooms where my hero is a plumber. You can't imagine the number of worlds I have existed in. I did what I did for them. If Idun wins, they'll all fall, but Henry, I didn't come with you for them. I came for you."
Henry's heart caught in his throat. "Andromeda..."
"You don't have to say anything. One of the first things I looked at was your past. I couldn't see after you were marked, but I know what came before. I understand, Henry. I know where you came from. I suppose you know I dreamed of us being together." She laughed, but a tear glimmered on her cheek. "That's how the story is supposed to go, isn't it? The hero saves the princess, and then they live happily ever after. I'm not even sure I had a choice, but you did, didn't you? You're not of Kurnugi. You may be the hero, but you can choose to do whatever you want."
"I'm sorry," he said. The words sounded poor and inadequate. "I should've drunk from the well, not you. I should've been the one to surrender who I am."
Andromeda shook her head. "What you're doing is a lot more important than anything I've given up. I'm not sure you could have gone on with this fight if you had been the one to drink. It would've taken too much. It's for the best, even if I do cease to exist when this is done."
"What do you mean?"
She smiled, but it was the fake sort of smile people give when they're trying not to cry. "This is a story, and I don't have a role here anymore. Not apart from being your companion. I'm not sure I can exist without you here."
"But..."
Andromeda waved off his concern. "When I drank, whatever had been preventing me from remembering the different worlds vanished. I've lived a long time, Henry. Many lifetimes. Maybe more than anyone has a right to."
"We'll go back to the Oracle," Henry said. "Odin said you can give back the knowledge. That should make you the princess again."
"I don't think it works that way." Ahead, Brand had stopped and was ordering men to set up a tent. Henry and Andromeda stopped a little ways away. "I knew what I was doing when I drank from the well. I've accepted it."
Henry didn't know how to respond to that, and they waited mutely while the tent rose up. Andromeda gave a sad smile before disappearing inside.
CHAPTER 27
The three days it took to reach the mountain range passed without incident. The kings didn't really need his help in planning their attack, so Henry had no reason to go see them. Andromeda had been trained in warfare in at least one of her lives, but being around the men who had been her fathers was painful for her. As a result, they spent much of their time walking through the army. Though none of the men recognized Andromeda, all stood a little straighter when Henry walked by. Once, when Henry saw Captain Sholtz, a man who'd been like an uncle to Andromeda in Argath, Henry turned Andromeda away to spare her seeing someone else she'd loved who wouldn't remember her. He wasn't entirely sure he'd succeeded, but if Andromeda noticed the old soldier, she gave no sign. She did find one source of comfort though when they made their way to the picketed horses.
"Oakash!"
The chocolate brown mare whinnied when Andromeda approached. She threw her arms around the horse's neck, and Oakash nuzzled at her shoulder. Henry had no idea if the horse actually remembered her, or if it only responded to her attitude, but he didn't care. Andromeda laughed out loud, and it warmed Henry's heart to see her happy. A stable boy retrieved her saddle, and they rode for the rest of the day. After that, it seemed like some of the weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
The mountains grew in the distance until their army had reached the base. They split into groups of a hundred, each led by a company of dwarves. Valin's men, better suited for mountain travel than any of the humans, guided them through a series of passes and switchbacks. The smaller groups allowed them to make good time, and in spite of the fact that their ranks had been swelled by King Budli's men, they made it to the top in the two days that Valin had originally estimated. Bifrost glowed brightly, one end anchored to a ledge on a peak about half a mile away. Its shimmering colors, from red so deep it could've been blood to bright violet that reminded Henry of wildflowers, cast colored lights on the surrounding mountains as well as the valley below. Henry's breath caught in his throat. The valley, presumably the same one they'd crossed before, was swarming with men. They were so far below, he couldn't make out individuals, but the mass stretched out farther than he could see even from the high vantage point. For all he knew, they reached all the way to Asgard.
"How many is that?" he asked, not caring who answered.
"I don't know," Cepheus said. "Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions. That army could swallow us whole and not even realize they'd done it."
Henry turned to Hermes. "You wouldn't still happen to have Medusa's head, would you?"
Hermes shook his head. "I told you that had to stay in Greece."
"Because that would've been too easy." Henry looked out
over the army. "What is that?"
Valin squinted until he saw what Henry was talking about. Giant serpent like creatures moved among the army.
"Lindworms," the dwarf said.
"What?"
"Wingless dragons with a poisonous bite."
"Oh, is that what they are?" Hermes asked. "They attacked Delphi."
"What? When?" Henry asked.
"It was a while ago, before the Moira sent me to you. I always wondered what they were."
"I guess it makes sense that they came from here," Henry said. "So what do we do now?"
"They outnumber us many times over," Frederick said. "I know that," Valin said.
"What are you going to do about it?" he asked
Valin shrugged. "The same thing we did against Zuab, I suppose."
"You don't happen to have an army of ghosts at your disposal, would you?"
"I think you're on the wrong side for that." When Henry cocked his head, Valin glanced at the gathered army. "You said Odin wouldn't oppose Idun directly. If she commanded it, do you think he would fight?"
"Probably," Henry admitted.
Valin glanced back at the army. When he spoke, his voice had gone somber. "They say Odin keeps the souls of the greatest warriors for the battle at the end of time. If this doesn't qualify, I don't know what does."
Henry sighed. "We won't just be fighting an army of elves and dwarves, then. We'll be fighting dead Vikings too. We have our work cut out for us."
Hermes laughed and Henry turned to glare at him. The messenger god smiled. "Henry after everything you've been through, why would you think this was going to be easy?"
"I didn't-"
"Hammer," Hermes said.
"What?"
An electric blue light coming from the army caught Henry's attention. He turned and just barely caught sight of the hammer surrounded by a nimbus of light before it smashed into the rock below him. The sound tore through him and blinding light filled the air. His bones felt like they turned to jelly, and he thought his head would explode from the pain. His eyes burned, and he didn't even realize he'd fallen off the ledge until he was halfway down. The first hint of a scream escaped his lips when Pegasus was there. The stallion galloped through the air with all the speed he'd ever shown as a winged horse. He matched Henry's speed but didn't stop once Henry had landed on him. Pegasus dove down. As Henry's vision began to clear, he saw Valin falling a few feet away. They neared the ground, and Henry screamed, but at the last second, Pegasus veered, catching the dwarven commander. They landed softly on the ground, with Pegasus running a few feet before launching himself into the air again. Henry's stomach twisted has half a dozen other men crashed into the ground with a sickening crunch. Pegasus' hooves thundered on the air until they reached the ledge the group had been standing on.
Henry's jaw dropped. The ledge was gone. Jagged stone teeth showed where it had broken off. Henry looked down, but didn't see any sign of it. It hadn't broken off. It had been reduced to dust. A few, Frederick, Budli, and Cepheus among them, had been thrown clear and were picking themselves off the rock, but most had fallen to their deaths. Andromeda looked up from the mountain, relief painting her face. Pegasus came to a landing next to her, and he got off.
"What happened?" she asked.
Valin hopped off the horse and dusted himself off. "I believe we were just attacked by Thor."
"Where?" Hephaestus said as he forced his way through the crowd until he could see the gathered army.
Henry scanned the area until he caught sight of a lone figure standing at the base of the rainbow bridge. It had to be huge to be visible from so far. He pointed.
"There."
In the same instant, a blue light flickered from the figure. It grew rapidly until it resolved itself as the hammer. Henry tried to back up, but there were too many people. He lifted his shield, unsure if even Hephaestus' magic could defend against such a terrible weapon. A heartbeat before it struck, Hephaestus swung his own hammer, catching Thor's weapon from below. The ring that filled the air reverberated through Henry's flesh and shook some loose rocks free. The attacking weapon flew into the air. Up above, thunder crashed. Hephaestus let out a high-pitched whistle, and a horse cried out from the sky. Henry looked up and for a second, he forgot to breathe. It wasn't a horse, at least not exactly. Silvery metal gleamed instead of fur, and steel wings resembled Pegasus' original form. Fire burned in its eyes. Henry was fairly certain a metal winged horse should weigh too much to fly, but that didn't seem to matter. It landed so heavily that stone cracked under its weight. Its artificial muscles moved so fluidly they may as well have been flesh instead of metal. Pegasus sized up his counterpart. The stallion huffed and looked away, which made Henry laugh. Hephaestus climbed on with more grace than Henry would've suspected the maimed god was capable of. The sight of the smile on his pock marked face sent chills down Henry's spine. Then, the metal horse reared as its wings carried it into the air.
CHAPTER 28
The army threw itself against the mountain like a tide against a cliff. Wherever they found openings, waves of men poured in. They ascended the passes quickly, no doubt aided by dwarves of their own. Valin cried out. Dwarves and men thundered down the mountain. For a second, Henry just stared. Then he noticed the sunlight passing through some of the attackers. King Budli walked up next to him and cursed.
"The warriors of Valhalla, the spirit of every warrior who has ever fallen in battle."
A group of men from Argath ran into a contingent of spirits. The living were consumed like dried leaves before flame. Each scream caused a tear to fall from Henry's eyes. Somehow he knew that it wasn't just physical screams he was hearing. It was the screams of souls. He leapt onto Pegasus, and they ran off the cliff, half falling half galloping on the air.
They ran out from the edge several feet before turning and charging a pass as a dozen ghosts rushed through it. They didn't see him coming. Whenever his blade cut into them, the spirits screamed and vanished. A few tried to parry, but his weapon passed through theirs as if they didn't exist. They may have been greater warriors than him in life, but in death, they couldn't stand against a god-forged blade. In minutes, they were gone, and Henry and Pegasus ran back out over the battle. Dwarves had engaged other spirits in half a dozen places, armed with weapons that had been based on Henry's own. They weren't as effective as the sword Hephaestus had made. The ghostly weapons could turn aside their attacks, but the dwarves were formidable warriors, and for every dwarf who fell screaming in terror and agony, two spirits were dispatched. In a few places, men and dwarves fought more ordinary enemies.
"Since when do Vikings, elves, and dwarves count as ordinary?" he asked himself.
Up above, King Frederick waved down at him. Henry nodded and directed Pegasus up. He landed between Andromeda and one of the men who had once been her father. Aside from Hermes, none of the other leaders were there. No doubt they had joined the battle with their men.
"What is it?" Henry asked.
The king spread his arm over the battle. "You can't fight an army, Master Henry, not one of this size at any rate."
"I have to do something."
"In Argath, you fought until you found their leader. We need you to do that now. In these passes, we can hold them off for a long time, but we can't win. You can."
"If you know where Idun is..." Henry started. His throat went dry and he turned to Andromeda. He hated to ask her, but he didn't see another way. "Can you see her?"
Andromeda grimaced as she met his gaze, but she nodded. Henry walked up next to her and held on to her arm. She closed her eyes for what felt like an eternity before her knees buckled under her, and Henry shifted his grip to help her stay upright. She opened her eyes and let out a long breath.
"She hasn't left Asgard."
Henry nodded. "I'll take Pegasus and fly over the army. We'll cross the river and find her."
Hermes shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. All paths to other worlds have their ru
les. The valley itself is the path to Asgard, not the air above it and not the river. You can't just fly over it. You have to go across it."
Henry looked out over the valley. "There's an army in the way."
"I know," Hermes said. "You have to go after Hephaestus."
"What?"
Hermes waved his hand over the army. "Well, you can't go that way. There's only one warrior guarding the way to Bifrost."
"That one warrior is Thor," Henry said in a level voice.
"Hephaestus is keeping him busy."
"What about Heimdall? Isn't he still guarding the other side?"
Hermes shrugged. "Does it matter? Would you prefer to fight an army?"
"Maybe with Pegasus, I could force my way through without having to fight them."
"And maybe Idun will surrender," Hermes said. "Henry, that army stretches for miles."
"He's right, Henry," Andromeda said as she climbed onto Pegasus. "We have to go."
"We?"
She glared at him, but he could tell it was forced. He nodded once and got on the horse in front of her.
"Watch over Oakash if you will, King Frederick," Andromeda said.
"Oakash..."
Frederick drew out the word. Though Oakash was Andromeda's horse, the mare had come from Frederick's stable and had been one of the best. For a moment, he looked at Andromeda and Henry thought he saw recognition in those eyes. A heartbeat later, it was gone.
"I'll see she's taken care of," the king said.
Henry couldn't see Andromeda, but he felt her arms tense around him. Hermes touched his head with two fingers in an odd sort of salute, and Henry drove his heels into Pegasus' side. The horse tossed his mane before trotting into the air.
Up ahead, blue and orange lights flashed at the base of the bridge. Black clouds swirled overhead, thundering as they spewed lightning. The earth trembled and cracked as great gouts of flame and magma burst forth. Fire and electricity clashed where the two gods battled. The air was alive with power, and waves of heat distorted the fighters. Henry had seen much since he'd come into Kurnugi, but this was something else entirely.
Mimir's Well (The Oracles of Kurnugi Book 3) Page 11
