Dragons of Asgard 2

by Jacobs, Logan

  “It was good to see you, Eira.” I cleared my throat nervously as I pulled on Asta’s elbow to get her to come with me.

  “You, too, Rath,” Eira chuckled as she faded into the distance.

  “I don’t see what you’re so embarrassed about,” Asta said, and she looked at me with understanding yellow eyes.

  “Yeah,” Kas added. “We can tell you like her. It’s not a big deal. It’s kind of cute, actually.”

  “I thought so as well.” Asta grinned. “She is quite beautiful.”

  “She is your warband leader, correct?” Kas asked.

  “That’s right,” I sighed, and I wished we would get off the subject. The girls might think my crush was cute, but I certainly didn’t, and of course I didn’t want to hurt their feelings at all.

  “She must be quite the warrior,” Kas said, and her violet eyes twinkled with amusement.

  “She is a wonder on the battlefield,” I agreed curtly.

  “Didn’t you see the way she was looking at you?” Kas purred.

  “It was quite clear she has feelings for you.” Asta nodded.

  “Does she have any magic?” Kas asked.

  “I’m not sure, but I don’t think so.” I shrugged.

  “Would she grow more powerful if she bonded with you?” Asta asked? “I’m wondering if your dragon magic would do anything for her.”

  “I grew more powerful when you bonded with Rath, Asta,” Kas mused.

  “Hmmm…” the beautiful elf hummed, but then the two women didn’t speak any more of it.

  I smiled to myself but didn’t ask any further questions since we had arrived at Ramir’s shop. I was secretly incredibly pleased the girls thought Eira liked me. I’d wanted her for a long time, and it was nice to have my feelings validated.

  The bell chimed as we entered the shop, and once again we were surrounded by the strange books and things in jars that adorned the walls of Ramir’s magical store.

  “Father,” Kas called out when we didn’t see the man right away.

  “Kaspyr, is that you?” Ramir’s voice shouted, and it sounded like he was panicked.

  “It’s me, Father,” Kas said, and she looked at me curiously. “Is something wrong?”

  “Is something wrong,” Ramir hissed as he came out of the back room, marched up to Kas, and pointed a long, bony finger right in front of her face. “Is something wrong, oh, you tell me if something is wrong, young lady.”

  “Father,” Kas chuckled. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I’ve been worried sick!” Ramir said with a frown. “In fact, I was just about to summon you again.”

  “Good thing we came when we did, then,” I said.

  “We brought food,” Asta added, and she held up the basket for him to see.

  “Never mind the food,” he said. “Is he alright?”

  “Is who alright?” I asked with a furrowed brow.

  “Is who alright,” Ramir muttered and rolled his eyes before he threw his arms up in exasperation. “Blar, of course! I just heard what happened at the tournament. The poor little thing must be bruised beyond belief.”

  “The tournament was a few days ago,” I said, and I gestured behind me to where Blar stood. “He’s all healed up now.”

  “Oh, he’s here,” Ramir gasped as he pushed past the girls and I to crouch down and fawn over Blar. “I figured he would be home healing.”

  Ramir made sure to pet Inger and Uffe, too, but it was clear his attention was mainly on Blar.

  “Father,” Kas chuckled again. “Blar is all healed up. He’s fine.”

  “He’s clearly distraught,” Ramir said as he lifted the little dragon into his arms and turned to face us.

  Honestly, I was surprised Ramir could hold Blar. He was probably close to twenty pounds at this point, but the old sorcerer didn’t seem to mind. He ooed and awed over Blar, who gave him puppy dog eyes in order to milk as many pets out of this as he could.

  “He’s such a faker,” I laughed.

  “You’re staying,” Ramir ordered us. “I’ll cook him some healing cabbage soup.”

  “Alright.” I shook my head. “But I’m telling you, he’s fine.”

  Ramir walked past me with Blar in his arms, and I glared at the little dragon who had his head draped over Ramir’s arm. Blar waited until the old man was looking away, and then he stuck his small lizard like tongue out at me.

  “Did you see that?” My eyes widened as I turned to the girls.

  “I regret teaching him that now,” Kas said, and she bit her lip to try and hold back a laugh.

  “Are you all coming?” Ramir called out, and I heard the door behind us lock on its own.

  “At least now you don’t have to cook dinner,” Asta giggled.

  I smiled and followed the girls back to Ramir’s study.

  “Father,” Kas said as we caught up with the old man. “We wanted to ask you about Blar’s powers.”

  “What about them?” Ramir asked as he set the blue dragon down on the soft green couch in front of the fire.

  “We found out at the tournament that Blar can teleport,” I explained.

  “Yes, I heard about that.” Ramir nodded as he grabbed the large pot that hung beside the fire.

  I wanted to ask him how he had even found out about the tournament, but I’d learned not to question Ramir. The old man knew absolutely everything.

  “And now we’ve discovered he can also make portals to the different realms,” I added.

  “Well, now, this is interesting,” Ramir said, and he paused what he was doing to look at me. “What is your question?”

  “We were hoping you might have a way to help him focus that energy,” Kas said.

  “As of right now, he needs a portal near him in order to make one large enough for anyone to travel through,” I elaborated. “The ones he makes on his own are only large enough for himself.”

  “I see.” Ramir’s brow furrowed as he looked through the produce we’d brought him.

  “Is there something we can do to help him hone his abilities?” Asta inquired.

  “I’m not sure,” Ramir answered. “Let me think about that.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. “While we’re here, though, I was wondering if you had any knowledge about a prophecy we heard about recently.”

  “A prophecy, you say?” The old man’s long eyebrows wiggled as he looked at me.

  “It’s about Rath and the dragons,” Kas said. “We met the great dragon Nidhug, and he told Rath he had to save all the dragons.”

  “Nidhug said that.” Ramir’s eyes glazed over like he was considering Kas’ words carefully.

  “It seems you know what he was talking about,” Asta said with a smile.

  “The council told us the prophecy foretold the dragons would one day be enslaved by man,” Kas explained. “They said if Rath didn’t save them all, then it would bring about Ragnarok.”

  “Is that all they said?” Ramir asked.

  “Yes.” I nodded. “They thought it had already happened when the dragons were freed from Vinrar’s grip.”

  “Of course, it didn’t happen then,” Ramir scoffed. “The prophecy foretold dragons would be enslaved and used for their magic for centuries, and one day someone would come along and free them.”

  “Centuries?” Kas gasped.

  “That’s so long,” Asta said with a frown.

  “The council didn’t mention that part of the prophecy.” My brow furrowed.

  “No, they wouldn’t,” Ramir snorted. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Most people don’t pay enough attention to prophecies, but you should never disregard a prophecy, never. No matter how small of one it might seem.”

  “So, does that mean the dragons have been enslaved for a hundred years?” Asta asked.

  “Let me see,” Ramir said, and he muttered to himself as he counted on his fingers. “I’d say just about. The dragon trade came about after Vinrar started dealing in them. He wasn’t just a trainer, he was the origi
nal dragon trader as well.”

  My hands tightened into fists. The bastard.

  “What does the full prophecy say?” Kas asked. “Do you have a copy we can look at?”

  “I have a copy in my head, child.” Ramir smiled and tapped his temple with a bony finger. “The prophecy goes as follows:

  Centuries of torment, the scaled ones shall suffer

  Until the appearance of the one true master.

  He will be called upon to free the great ones,

  It is a battle that must be won,

  For if he fails the realms will fall

  And dragon fire will cleanse us all.”

  “Dragon fire will cleanse us all,” I repeated.

  “That must have been what Beyer and Rinbar were talking about,” Kas said. “Ragnarok.”

  “I would think so, yes,” Ramir agreed as he tossed some vegetables into the pot.

  “It doesn’t make any mention of me going to Helheim, though,” I mused.

  “That’s not the prophecy,” Asta said. “That’s just a quest to tell you how to fulfill the prophecy.”

  “I suppose that’s correct.” I nodded.

  I thought about the prophecy and how it foretold of a master. It was strange to think that was me. I’d lived such a boring life until recently, and I’d never had any dealings with magic, so it was hard to believe I was the one this prophecy foretold about.

  Then again, my relationship with my dragons felt like the most natural thing I’d ever experienced. Something about it simply felt right, though I didn’t consider myself their master. We were a team if anything, and that was the way I would continue to think about it, regardless of what the prophecy said.

  “Going to Helheim, are you?” Ramir asked as his keen eyes locked onto me.

  “That’s where Nidhug sent us,” I confirmed.

  “Well, then, I’m sure he warned you about Garm,” the old man said.

  “What’s Garm?” Kas inquired.

  “Not what,” Ramir chuckled. “Who.”

  “Okay, who is Garm?” I asked.

  “Garm is the guard of the gates of Helheim,” Ramir explained. “He’s a massive dog whose fur is always soaked in blood.”

  “That shouldn’t be an issue,” Kas stated. “If we can get Blar’s powers to focus, then we can travel directly to the dungeon where Vinrar is being kept.”

  “I’m afraid it won’t be so easy.” Ramir frowned.

  “What do you mean?” Asta asked, and her head cocked to the side with curiosity.

  “No matter how you enter Helheim, you must get through Garm before you can walk with the dead,” Ramir informed us.

  “Why?” Kas asked. “Why would it matter who goes to Helheim? Everyone there is already dead. Why would the Gods care who wanted to go in?”

  “I’m sure they don’t,” Ramir chuckled. “But Garm is a test. If you cannot defeat him, then you surely won’t last within the gates of Helheim.”

  “Oh,” Kas whispered.

  “I’m sure you all will be fine, though,” Ramir said, and he turned back to the vegetables he was cutting up for dinner.

  I chuckled at his apparent disregard for his daughter. I knew he understood she would be safe with me, but it was still amusing to watch a father virtually tell his daughter to have fun in the most dangerous realm of all. He’d raised her, though, so he knew her strengths and weaknesses, and if he thought she would be alright, then I was sure he was correct. Besides, I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her, not as long as I could help it.

  Helheim might be full of the dead and giant dogs and creatures, but it wasn’t going to get the better of me or my team, I’d make sure of that.

  “So, Rath,” Ramir said as he set the pot of stew above the flames. “You must be feeling quite overwhelmed with everything that’s going on.”

  “It is a lot of pressure.” I shrugged. “But after I found out about the dragon trade, it’s what I wanted to do anyways. I couldn’t let them stay in slavery. I was going to free them whether or not there was a prophecy.”

  “Which is exactly why you’ll be the one to fulfill the prophecy.” The old man smiled.

  “Why must your father constantly speak in riddles?” Asta whispered to Kas.

  “Welcome to my life,” the strawberry-blonde muttered.

  “I do not speak in riddles,” Ramir said with a roll of his eyes. “I simply am saying Rath’s desire to help the dragons regardless of the prophecy is what makes him the perfect man to fulfill it. It’s his destiny, prophecy be damned. His own choices are what have made him who he is today.”

  I smiled at the old man and watched as he settled onto the couch next to Blar. The little blue dragon crawled onto his lap for pets while Inger and Uffe made their way over to him as well. Pretty soon, the little dragons were all fighting for a spot on Ramir’s lap, and they eventually settled into one massive lump of tails and scales that hung over the sides of Ramir’s legs and spilled out onto the couch.

  Seeing how sweet and loving my dragons were, it was difficult to think about the dragons in captivity. It was even more difficult to think about Vinrar’s dragon. He must have trusted Vinrar with his life, and the man betrayed that trust completely. He beat the poor dragon into submission, and just the thought made me angry.

  These dragons were such sweet and beautiful creatures, and they didn’t deserve such a terrible fate. To think dragons had been enslaved for a hundred years was unimaginable. I knew it had been quite a while since Vinrar was alive, but I didn’t think it was that long. I’d never stopped to consider when he died, I just knew it was before my time. Still, one-hundred years was far too long.

  I wasn’t sure how long dragons lived for, but I knew it had to be several centuries at least, and that meant there were most likely dragons who’d lived out their whole lives in captivity.

  I thought about Vinrar’s dragon again and how long he’d been in the dungeon with the man who abused him. It had to be close to a century, and my heart ached for him. He’d defended himself and landed himself a fate just as bad as if he’d been alive.

  We all sat around the fire while Ramir’s stew cooked, and the old man dozed off for a little bit before snoring himself awake and declaring dinner was finished.

  Ramir passed out bowls of the cabbage stew, and I took a large spoonful and put it into my mouth. It was earthy, with a touch of sweetness and spice, and the warmth of it filled my belly and made me smile.

  Ramir was always a wonderful cook, and I appreciated that he wanted to cook for us. He had no reason to really trust me, considering I’d only met Kas a short time ago, and we had already bonded for life. He didn’t seem to mind that, though, in fact he seemed like he approved of it.

  He even seemed like he approved of my bonding with Asta as well, though I don’t really care whether or not he approved. It was our business, and his daughter was an adult. Still, his opinion mattered to me somewhat. Ramir was a very nice man, and he treated me with respect even though I didn’t have any lineage to speak of. He was also successful in his practices, and had joined us in our quest even though he didn’t have to. He did everything he could to try and assist us.

  “Oh, I think I’ve got it!” Ramir announced with a snap of his fingers.

  “Got what?” Kas asked as she sipped on her soup.

  “I think I figured out how to hone Blar’s powers,” he replied.

  “How?” I asked.

  “Well, I need to make him a necklace,” Ramir said as he jumped up from the couch, and the little dragons hopped off his lap just in time.

  Ramir ran out to the front of his shop and started to gather supplies from the shelves. He grabbed a cauldron and pulled down some jars full of various nasty looking things. One was just a green juice that smelled awful when he opened it, but the old man took a big whiff and said, “Oh, yes, that’s good.”

  “I have everything we need, except one thing.” Ramir frowned as he looked over at us.

  “What is it yo
u need?” Kas asked.

  “I need a tail feather,” the old man said

  “A tail feather from what?” Kas asked hesitantly.

  “From a Kingsbird,” Ramir replied. “But I’m sure you can handle it.”

  “Uhhh… shit,” I sighed.

  The Kingsbird was one of the most dangerous and violent birds in Asgard. It was massive in size, with huge talons that were said to be as sharp as Odin’s sword. They didn’t even live in trees like normal birds, they lived in caves underground. They were also known to eat full-size deer, and not just eat them like scavengers, but hunt them as well. They were strange creatures that didn’t even fly very often, so they typically would use their giant legs to run around and hunt their prey. They were quick as well as strong, and in order to get one of the tail feathers, we would have to go and seek one of the birds out since they were nocturnal and not seen very often. I’d heard of hunters going after the birds, and not all of them had made it back.

  “That sounds dangerous,” Asta remarked as she glanced at me. “What is the Kingsbird anyways?”

  “It’s said to be one of the most dangerous animals in Asgard,” I answered.

  Blar scoffed then and looked at me with determination in his eyes.

  “You all will have to go to the caves,” Ramir said.

  “Do you just need one tail father?” I asked.

  “I only need one to make the amulet,” Ramir said. “But I would prefer to have more than that so I can use them for future spells.“

  “So, you want an entire tail feather bundle?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Well,” Ramir said. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

  “No trouble at all,” I said with a playful smirk.

  “Good.” The old man smiled. “I didn’t think it would be.”

  “We should get prepared,” Kas suggested. “The birds are nocturnal, so they will be out this evening.“

  “That sounds good to me,” I said.

  “Good luck,” Ramir said, and he waved at us as we exited his shop.

  “We’ll be back in the morning for the amulet,” Kas called over her shoulder with a laugh.

  “Oh, I almost forgot to mention,” Ramir said as he stood in the doorway. “It’s mating season, so do be careful.“