by M. H. Bonham
“Holy shit.” Duncan shook his head.
I sat down and poured another cup of coffee from a decanter the room magically produced. My head hurt too much and the lights were too bright for me to focus on much of anything, let alone the end of the world. Almost on cue, the room dimmed the lights and I quietly pledged my undying loyalty to it. I could see the room god as a god I could worship.
It’s the simple things in life.
As I pondered my headache and Fenrir’s disappearance, the others talked around me. The chatter was beyond anything I could stand and I stared at my coffee wishing they would just go away and leave me to my recovery.
“Listen.” Verthandi clapped her hands and sent me into apoplexy with the noise. “This isn’t a request. I’ve seen possible futures as I’ve woven the Wyrd. Do nothing and I guarantee Ragnarok—and none of you will survive the outcome. Find Fenrir and you have a chance at preventing the apocalypse.”
I looked up from my coffee. “Look, Elryn, Duncan. Tuz, and I can make it back to Earth, but Nana and Li’alla can’t enter Colorado because of my father’s curse.”
“Evrardin’s curse doesn’t extend to family.” Verthandi nodded. “You can get around it handily for anyone whom you call family. As Evrardin’s only heir, you can choose whom you let in—even if not related by blood.”
Elryn nodded. “That would be right. In ancient times, people referred to their clan as their family, even if some weren’t related. You could choose which Drow you call family, even if you aren’t related.”
“Dark Elves.” Li’alla glared at Elryn. “Drow is an epithet.”
Elryn rolled her eyes. “No offense meant.”
“Offense taken.” Li’alla stepped forward, her hand on her knife.
I banged my head against the table in frustration, causing my coffee to spill across it. The room caused the table to suck it up as though it hadn’t even spilled. “Look, Li’alla. She didn’t mean any harm…”
“Then why use the word?” Li’alla glared. “Sunnies insist they mean no harm, but they still use the word. We’re cousins, for the gods’ sakes.”
“Sunnies?” Elryn looked confused.
“It’s an epithet for Light Elves. You know, sun—sunny?” I grumbled.
Elryn put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, but my cousin only became angrier. “You find it funny, Sunny Elf?” Li’alla snapped.
“Calm down, Li’alla.” Nana laid a hand on the Dark Elf’s arm. “She means no harm.”
“No, I don’t.” Elryn shook her head emphatically. “It’s just I…I’ve been told lies all my life about Dro…Dark Elves. I had no idea of your past or why my people hated them.” She paused. “Why I hated them.” She looked down at her feet and took a deep breath. “We called them Drow because it made them something else than what they were. Less Elven—more monstrous. Evrardin and I fought against Drow—creatures that were monstrous and intent on destroying humans. Eir told me about how the Light Elves made their brethren into slaves. It’s not right or fair. Now I see that it’s not your race—it’s the actions of those few power-hungry Elves who seek to expand their lands.”
Verthandi nodded. “Accept her apology. She now has Dark Elven genes in her that saved her life from the Elfshot.”
Li’alla took a deep breath and nodded. She moved her hand away from her knife. “Okay, but my people have long memories.”
“So do mine, which is why we need to be on Ironspell’s side and not our races.” Elryn flashed a tentative smile. “Plus, who’s going to save his ass when he gets into trouble?”
“Hey!” I raised my head from the table. “I sacrificed good coffee for you.”
As if on cue, the room made another steaming cup of coffee appear.
I was going to miss this place. I wondered if I could get the Tiny House to do that.
~ * ~
Verthandi had us meet in Eir’s mead hall while we packed our gear and got ready to leave. I had some cool tunics and trousers, courtesy of the room that I was damned if I was going to leave there. The room packed me a thermos of Hair of the Dog coffee and made the most excellent sandwiches. I was actually sad to have to leave the room, but it created something which I assumed was a token of its appreciation: a cube with a glowing spark inside it. It left me explicit instructions to bring it to the Tiny House and open it there only. Normally I would be suspicious of such gifts, but the room had been so helpful and kind, I couldn’t imagine it would be something harmful. I pocketed the cube in my leather jacket and joined the others in Eir’s throne room and mead hall.
Eir’s mead hall was much as it had been when I was first given the task of finding the Elfshot. The chamber was rectangular with a giant fire pit in the middle. Benches surrounded the fire pit with warriors, both men and women, Human and Elven, dressed in Norse and Saxon clothing. As usual, they were drinking mead and talking as servants brought more pitchers and poured more into the warriors’ cups. The heat from the fire pit was soothing and warm, but not overly hot.
Across from us, Eir the Norse goddess of healing and a Valkyrie sat on her throne. Sigrún waved at Eir and I realized that Sigrún could very well be a goddess as well. Which meant that Duncan was literally in bed with a Norse goddess. Ah well, that was his problem. Hopefully dating a goddess wouldn’t be as bad as some of the stories suggested. He seemed happy. The bastard.
I started wishing it was the new moon on Earth so Luna and I could have some sexy time.
Eir stood to greet us, even though I knew the goddess didn’t have to do anything to look polite. She was gorgeous with pale blonde hair and blue eyes that met mine. She wore a simple tunic and trousers, laced up the calves. When I had first met her, she was dressed like a doctor. Now, she looked like just another one of her warriors except for the circlet on her head. She smiled warmly at us and motioned us to come forward. Her warriors parted and we walked up to her throne.
To my surprise, she walked to me and hugged me. “Thank you for ending the Elfshot. With it, your people would’ve died.”
I blinked and nodded. “I really didn’t have much of a choice.” I shot a look at Verthandi, who stood off to the side on the dais.
Eir nodded. “I’m glad you all have recuperated from the Elfshot and from your time in Svartalfheim. I heard about your little adventure in Valhalla.” Horror must have crossed our faces, because she laughed. “No, I’m not admonishing you for something I would’ve done when I was younger, but you know about Fenrir and Baldr.”
“I don’t get it,” Duncan said. “You all had plenty of warnings about Baldr’s death and yet Frigga still didn’t get the mistletoe’s oath to not harm him.”
“And Odin still keeps Loki around,” I added.
“Hey! I heard that!” Loki appeared, sitting on Eir’s throne.
Eir glared at the god of mischief. “Out of the chair…”
“Or what? You’ll smite me?” Loki waved his hands in mock fear. “Oh wait! Wrong god.”
“What are you doing here, Loki?” Sigrún stepped forward, her hand upon her sword’s hilt.
Eir’s warriors gathered closer, ready to defend the goddess if Loki tried to harm her. Eir waved them back. “Loki,” she said, drawing his name out so that he would note her displeasure. “Why are you here?”
“Odin sent me to find my son.” The god stood up and crossed his arms. “Apparently he doesn’t want me around for what happens next. So, I knew you’d all be here—especially wonder boy, here who froze Valhalla…”
“Wait, you froze Valhalla?” Eir eyed me with a newfound respect.
“Yeah, you should’ve seen him!” Tuzren flew off my shoulder. “He told everyone to chill out and they did.”
I facepalmed. I really didn’t want that little bit to get around. For one thing, I had no clue what I had done to cause that to happen. For another thing, I really didn’t want people to think differently about me. You see, growing up I had tried to fit in all the time and I just couldn’t. Regular kids would e
ither pick on me or leave me alone—especially after I retaliated with magic. So, I was the weird kid with the funny name. I got along better in college hanging out with other Supes, but when I joined the Denver Police Department, I pretty much discovered that I was one of the few talented Supes in the Denver Police Department Supernatural Unit (DPDS). The really talented cops went into the Denver Wizard Task Force (DWTF). And apparently I got promoted. But now, we had to return to the Gold Nugget Mine where our latest adventures started and somehow explain to the families whom the Dark Elves killed why they wouldn’t see their loved ones.
Some days my job sucked.
Eir looked at me with a newfound respect. “I’m impressed, which makes you the right person to find Fenrir and bring him back to Asgard.”
“Yes, but why are we even having this conversation?” I said. “Duncan is right. You had plenty of notice what would happen and yet you haven’t put any safeguards in place.”
Eir glanced at Verthandi. “Care to explain?”
Verthandi shrugged. “We’ve tried to avoid past Ragnaroks before. Unfortunately no matter what we do we end up destroying and remaking the multiverse.”
“You’ve tried to avoid past Ragnaroks?” I said. “Wait a second. There has been more than one Ragnarok?” I glanced at all my friends’ faces. They looked just as clueless as I was.
“Yes, there have been multiple Ragnaroks.” Eir glanced at Sigrún, who shook her head, looking clueless. “Most of the gods and goddesses don’t remember much of it, except we tried to put up safeguards to stop it.”
“And it didn’t work,” Loki added. “Each time Ragnarok happened, I’d try to change sides, save Baldr, kill Hodr, get the mistletoe to agree to not kill Baldr, and it still ended up the same way. Even the Norns refused to spin the end of the Multiverse but somehow the Multiverse conspired against us. So, we eventually gave up trying to fix it. There are only so many times when you hit the infinite causality loop that you try to undo it and fail. Afterwards we just gave up trying to thwart it. It only brought Ragnarok on faster.”
“So, we have more time before the Apocalypse if we don’t do anything?” My head started hurting again from the hangover and the timey-wimey explanation. I opened the thermos of coffee and took a swig. Hot Nirvana greeted my lips.
Eir nodded. “Yes.”
“Then, why are you sending us after Fenrir?” Li’alla asked.
Verthandi smiled. “Because I have seen that if we can get the wolf out of Midgard, we have a chance of keeping Ragnarok at bay for millions of years.”
“Millions of years versus a week from now? I’d take it,” Loki quipped.
“That’s why you’re going with them.” Eir crossed her arms.
“What?” I stared at her. “You want the god of mischief to go with us?”
“Yes.”
Chapter Seven
Everyone started objecting and arguing at once. The noise was loud enough to make me bury my head beneath my arms and groan. The coffee wasn’t doing it for me. What I wanted was to lie in bed and sleep through this entire nightmare.
“Ironspell…” Someone prodded my shoulder.
“Go the fuck away,” I snarled.
“Ironspell…” More prodding.
“You’re going to miss those fingers.”
“Not hardly.” Elryn smacked my shoulder this time.
“Oww. Shouldn’t that be said like John Wayne?” I looked up blearily at the Light Elf, rubbing my sore shoulder. Say what you will about Elves, but they pack a serious wallop.
“Who’s John Wayne?” She furrowed her brow.
I groaned. “Never mind. Why were you bothering me?” I glanced at the others who were still arguing with Eir and Verthandi about taking Loki. I noticed that Loki had sat back and was smirking at the chaos. Typical for a trickster god.
“I think it might be beneficial to have Loki with us.” She glanced at Li’alla who was giving Eir a list of why bringing Loki along would be a horrible idea, and then back at me.
“Seriously? Why?”
“He’s Fenrir’s father. We could use his blood to track the wolf.”
“Don’t you think the others have already thought of that?” I rubbed my eyes. “If Fenrir were that easy to find, I’d think the gods would have found him by now. Certainly they have mages who can perform a tracking spell.”
“True, but we have something they don’t.”
“What? Loki?” I glanced at the god, who had taken interest in our conversation.
“No, he’d probably share the blood with whomever needed it. We have two entire werewolf packs who know the Rocky Mountains better than most people know their neighborhoods. Furthermore, the Denver Wolfpack could easily let us know if another wolf entered their territory.” Elryn shrugged. “None of the gods or the mages have the honorary pack status you do.”
“Luna told you about that, huh?” I glanced down at my coffee and realized the room had replaced it with a darker brew. “I think I’m in love with this room.”
“Seriously, Ironspell? Luna told me how you rescued five young werewolf females from the Boulder pack, and rescued the Commerce City Wolfpack. I hear you’re an honorary member of both the Denver and the Commerce City Wolfpacks. I’d think that both of them would help us out.”
“Maybe, if it helps pack politics.” I shrugged. “Despite the honorary status, I’m really not a member of their packs. I’d have to have the lycanthrope disease or the gene to be a full member, and even if someone did bite me, I wouldn’t get the disease because I have my vaccinations. Not that I really want to get hairy and howl at the moon. Don’t get me wrong: I love Luna, but I’m not going to go wolf to get into politics.”
“Whoa. Did you just say you love Luna?” Elryn stared at me.
I blinked. I had just admitted to someone that I was more than just a little fond of my girlfriend. I hadn’t said anything in those terms ever before. “Yeah, I guess I did.” I shrugged. “I guess I’ve not had the chance to really think about how I feel about her. But yeah, I’m in love with her.”
Suddenly, I noticed that the whole room was quiet and everyone was staring at me.
Well, shit.
“Ironspell and Luna, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G…” Loki sang.
“Fuck. Off. Loki.” I glared at the god.
“Wow, dude, Luna is the half-turned Lycan you brought at Beau Jo’s?” Duncan stared at me. “I didn’t think you were into furry…”
“I’m not…I’m…” I sighed in exasperation. “She’s normal for a few days out of the month. She just has trouble controlling the shift.”
“So you two get it on once a month?” Li’alla looked nonplussed. “Isn’t that terribly unfair to her?”
“I…I…” I stammered. “Look, Cousin, my love life isn’t exactly up for discussion here…”
“Why not? You have something against werewolves?” Duncan grinned and tossed some popcorn in his mouth that apparently the room provided in bags so people could watch the Ironspell Tap Dance Show.
“No, werewolves are cool. I…I…just don’t do furry, okay?”
“Speciesist.” Li’alla snorted. “What if Nana didn’t marry Navarre?”
“That does seem to be his issue, isn’t it?” Nana nodded.
“Well, I…”
Loki chortled at my discomfort. “Yeah, I think this will be the perfect party to tag along with.” He grinned. “We’ll find Fenrir, prevent Ragnarok, and watch puppy boy get it on with his girlfriend. I can’t wait.”
“Speaking of Luna, we left her and Salazar above the Gold Nugget Mine,” I said, trying to change the subject. “A lot of people got killed there. How much time passed since we left for Mengloth?”
Verthandi nodded. “I can place you fifteen minutes after the battle. That would give you enough time for the Drow to clear out and to safely move the Normals in position.”
“I’ve already changed their memories,” Eir said. “They won’t remember this place and will only r
emember that the Drow killed their loved ones.”
I took a deep breath, my head still pounding. “This is going to suck.”
“Yeah,” Duncan agreed. “We lost several civilians due to the Elfshot. We’ll have to take reports from each of you as well as the civilians.” He looked at Eir. “Sorry, but it will probably keep me busy for a while.”
Eir shook her head. “I’ve already handled all the paperwork. Everything will match when you leave there.”
I glanced at the others. “Well, let’s get to it.” I looked at Eir. “You don’t have any cures for hangovers, do you?”
~ * ~
I’d like to say that transporting back to the mine was cool, but it was just a Gateway similar to the ones I’ve used previously. The victims had gone ahead of us, so it was just me and my rag-tag assortment of kick-ass warriors: Elryn, Duncan, Tuzren, Li’alla, Nana, and Sigrún. Before we left, Eir pulled me aside.
“There are other factions looking for Fenrir. They cannot capture him.” Eir’s brow furrowed in consternation. “And not just from the Aesir and Vanir.
“Who?” I asked. “Who in the hell would want to find a gigantic wolf?”
“More people than you realize.” She sighed. “Fenrir can bring Ragnarok, which the Christians call Armageddon. There are other religions and pantheons who have an apocalypse story within them. If they get hold of Fenrir, they may hasten the end, whether they mean to or not. It’s vital for someone from Asgard—or working for Asgard—to capture the wolf and bring him back.”
“So he can be chained up again?” I looked at her darkly. “If I recall the stories, Fenrir did absolutely nothing to warrant being tied up with a sword thrust through his jaw.”
“I know. It was the prediction of the seeress that forced us to chain him. And every iteration of our reality before us has shown us that Fenrir devours Odin.”
