Mimir's Well (The Oracles of Kurnugi Book 3) (14 page)

CHAPTER 28

            
 
T
he 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 rules. 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.

              It looked like a man fighting a child. Thor stood as solid as a small mountain. He stood nine feet tall and had arms even thicker than Hephaestus'. His skin glistened with sweat and bruises ran down his bare arms. He wore leather armor that seemed unaffected by the flames his foe threw against him. A long yellow beard was splattered with burns, and rage twisted his face. His hammer was as big as Hephaestus himself, and the earth itself trembled with every step.

              For his part, the Greek smith looked to be doing a lot better than his opponent. Pools of melted metal, presumably the remains of Hephaestus' mechanical horse, lay scattered about. Scorch marks covered his bronze breastplate, though the god himself was unharmed. He wasn't even breathing hard. He struck Thor again and again with hammer and flame. Even with his limited training, Henry could see the smith lacked any significant skill in combat. He went at Thor like a blacksmith hammering a piece of iron. Thor struck with his own hammer knocking the smith back a few steps. The sky rumbled and a bolt of lightning lanced down, engulfing Hephaestus and filling the air with an electric scent. Hephaestus' face went red, and Henry could almost see the rage coursing through him. His veins pulsed and glowed cherry red like the flames of forge.

              The maimed god raised a hand, and magma washed over Thor. The thunder god slammed his hammer against it. Though there was no reason it should be affected, the magma turned back. Thor twisted his hand and slammed his hammer into Hephaestus chest. The Grecian flew back and crashed into the rock so hard he sank in. The mountain shook and a geyser of molten earth pushed Hephaestus forward. He slammed into Thor, his momentum adding to the strength of the blow. Thor grunted and a trickle of blood dripped from behind the leather vest. He clenched his teeth, and as Henry and Andromeda neared, the Norseman looked up, and eyes like green fire locked onto them. Hephaestus followed his gaze, and fear flashed in his eyes. The sky rumbled in response to Thor's unspoken command. Hephaestus moved to stop him, but he was too late. The sky screamed. Henry didn't have time to raise his shield before the bolt of lightning ripped through Pegasus. The power coursed through the horse and into Henry, locking up his muscles. For a moment, he thought Pegasus would stay aloft, but the horse tilted forward and tumbled to the ground near the battling gods. Again, the sky rumbled and lightning flashed, but a wall of magma erupted from the ground catching the bolt.

              "Go," Hephaestus called.

              "But..."

              "I can't fight him and defend you at the same time." He swung his hammer and caught Thor in the chest, but Thor closed his hand around the shaft of the hammer and ripped it from the smaller god's grasp. "Go!"

              "Pegasus," Henry said, but the horse didn't move.

              "Leave him."

              Hephaestus leapt in front of Thor's hammer, grunting at the impact. The blow ripped off a metal plate, but Hephaestus barely budged. The ground shook under Thor, and a chasm opened directly beneath him. He leapt away, but not before the ground spewed molten earth into the surrounding area. Thor roared in pain as some of it splashed on him. Hephaestus took a chance and dove for his hammer. His fingers barely closed around the shaft when Thor kicked him in the stomach, and the weapon clattered away.

              "I can't," Henry said.

              "Henry, we have to," Andromeda said.

              "If we do, he'll die!"

              "Remember what he said about falling off the mountain," Andromeda shouted over a blast of thunder. "I'm not sure he can die."

              Three quick bolts struck Hephaestus, casting such a bright light that Henry thought the image would forever be burned into his eyes, but when the afterimage faded, Hephaestus was unharmed except for a few more scorch marks on his armor.

              Henry drew his sword and prepared to attack, but Andromeda grabbed his arm. Her hand was slippery, and he pulled away without any effort. He paused and looked at her. What seemed like a river of sweat poured from her skin. For a second, he was confused, but then he took in his surroundings. The earth was cracked and broken. Lava bubbled to the surface, and the air was alive with the scent of sulfur and ozone. His cloak protected him from the heat that would undoubtedly kill Andromeda if they stayed much longer. He pulled at Pegasus once more, but the horse didn't move. Henry took one last glance at the warring gods before taking Andromeda's hand and running onto the rainbow bridge of Bifrost.

CHAPTER 29

            
 
I
t was an odd sensation. The rainbow bridge sloped up sharply, but it seemed to have a gravity of its own which left the earth beneath looking as if it had been turned at an angle.

The battle raged beneath their feet, though looking at it through the multicolored bridge painted it odd colors. The air was curiously devoid of the sound. Even the gods fighting behind them had faded to a muffled rumble. The rainbow itself felt like glass underfoot. Every step gave off a sound that was almost musical. It might've been his imagination, but he thought each color gave off a different note. It tugged at something deep inside, and he found himself moving back and forth between the colors as if trying to reconstruct a song he wasn't sure he knew.

              "They look almost like toys from up here, don't they?" he asked as he looked at the armies below.

              "No, they don't."

              Andromeda's voice was level, and she didn't meet his eyes when he looked at her. He looked down through the bridge again and felt like an idiot. Andromeda may have given up her mantle as princess, but that hadn't affected her memories. As far as she was concerned, her pasts were still very real, and those were her people fighting and dying. From this vantage point, he could see just how outnumbered they were, and he tried to swallow a lump in his throat. Andromeda had already lost so much. He didn't want her to lose her fathers too, but it didn't look like that could be prevented. Their army was holding the mountain against the encroaching tide, but there were too many. One look at the pained expression on Andromeda's face said she was thinking the same thing.

              "Let's hurry," he said.

              Andromeda pursed her lips and nodded. They began walking faster. Before long, they climbed into a layer of clouds and the battlefield faded beneath them. The sky became a shade of dark blue, and stars dotted the sky. Henry wondered if they would cross into space. Of course, he wasn't even sure this realm had space. Before they reached quite that high, though, Bifrost turned. Henry and Andromeda paused for a second at the peak.

              The area around them looked more like a map than landscape. The mountains behind them shrank to small mounds of earth. To one side, a green field went on for miles before giving way to a crystal sea that reached to the horizon. On the other side, an ocean of white covered the ground. Far ahead and to one side, what looked like the top of a tree rose up from the ground. Henry could barely make out the curvature of the earth, and he wasn't sure if he should be surprised that Midgard was round. His logical mind told him it should be freezing up here and that they should have trouble breathing, but Andromeda didn't even shiver, and the air felt as thick as ever.

              "This is the top of the world, isn't it?" Andromeda asked as she took his hand. Her voice was quiet, as if she was afraid she'd wake a slumbering world.

              Henry nodded. "I think it might be the top of all words."

              "Are we going to save them?"

              He wanted to say yes. He should just say yes if only for the little comfort that would've given her, but he couldn't. In the back of his mind, a sorrowful tune began to play. Their army had come to nothing. They had no great force to storm the gates of Asgard with. Their divine allies had been left behind, and at that instant, Henry couldn't see anything in themselves but a boy far from home and a girl who was no longer a princess.

              The music grew louder. It was like no song he'd ever heard, bringing tears to his eyes. When he saw his feelings mirrored on Andromeda's face he almost cursed. The music wasn't in his head. He looked down Bifrost toward Asgard. A lone figure walked the bridge. Each step reverberated through it. The notes Henry's footsteps had given off were pale imitations. The ones this being gave off, could've made stones weep.

              As it approached, illumined only by Bifrost itself, gleaming armor of some incandescent metal covered his body from head to toe, leaving only a small portion of his face. A sharp nose dominated his features, and though his helmet covered his hair, a golden beard spoke of a head that would practically glow in the sunlight. A golden horn hung at his waist opposite a long, silver sword. It was hard to gauge size at that distance, but he was big. Henry stepped between the approaching figure and Andromeda and held his sword up. Behind him, the rasping of steel on leather told him Andromeda had drawn her blade.

              The man, seven feet tall at least, stopped a dozen feet before Henry and looked out over Midgard.

              "Beautiful, isn't it? I fear this will all be consumed before this war is done."

              His voice held the deep sorrow of one who had lost much. It reminded Henry of the way his parents had sounded when they learned they weren't going to have another child. The memory brought a tear to his eye, but he blinked it away.

              "Heimdall, I take it," he said.

              "Yes. Put away your sword, Henry Alexander Gideon. You won't need it."

              "Then, you'll let us pass?"

              Heimdall shook his head. "Would that I could, but I am charged to guard this bridge, and you will not pass."

              "But you care about the people of Midgard."

              Heimdall turned to him and smiled. "We all care."

              "Thor tried to kill us."

              "Don't be misled by my uncle's battle rage. He is a defender of humanity as are we all."

              "Then defend humanity," Andromeda shouted. "They're dying on the field below."

              "Humans are dying," Heimdall said. "Humans die every day. I would change that if I could, but humanity itself will live."

              "What do you mean 'if you could'?" Henry asked.

              Heimdall shrugged and turned away. He started walking down Bifrost. "If Idun withholds her apples, who will be left to protect the people of Midgard? Turn back, Henry Alexander Gideon. I will not stand aside for you, and you lack the strength to defeat me on my bridge."

              Henry took a step forward. "I think you know I can't do that."

              The god let out a sigh and lifted his own sword. "Indeed I do. Would that we could've met in a different time. Goodbye."

              Heimdall turned and rushed at Henry, moving so fast as to be little more than a blur. The rainbow roared, and Henry barely caught Heimdall's blade on his. The impact rang through him and the colors of the rainbow momentarily brightened. For a moment, Heimdall pressed his blade forward. Henry's arms burned from the effort of holding the god at bay. Then, a smile spread across Heimdall's face.

              "Interesting."

              He withdrew blade and struck, and again, Henry caught the blade on his own. Heimdall moved so fast. Henry didn't have time to pull his shield off his back and barely had a chance to deliver attacks of his own. Andromeda screamed and charged into the fight, but Heimdall didn't even flinch. His sword darted forward so fast Henry couldn't even follow it. It knocked the sword out of her hand, and with a quick lash of his foot, Heimdall swept her feet out from under her. The whole thing took less time than a heartbeat, and Heimdall renewed his attacks while the former princess was still in the air. Henry didn't even see her land. The only indication was a shrill note from the bridge. All his focus was on warding off Heimdall's storm of attacks. Henry dimly recalled reading somewhere that the clacking of sword on sword would quickly damage both blades, but that apparently didn't matter, not when one sword was made by dwarves and the other by a god.

              "You're a fair fighter, boy." Speaking didn't seem to slow Heimdall at all. "You still have much to learn though. You can't win. Turn back. I won't follow you if you retreat."

              Henry didn't trust himself to answer and focused all his attention on blocking Heimdall's strikes. Once, he stumbled and lost his balance. It was only for half a second, but it would be enough. A chill spread through his body as he expected a sword blow to his neck or chest, but the attack never came. He met Heimdall's gaze and saw the barest hint of a smile. The god was toying with him.

              Did you really think a few weeks of training would be enough to be able to fight a Viking god?
he thought.

              This wasn't working. He needed to do something unexpected. With every blow, the rainbow bridge grew brighter. Heimdall sent an overhand blow, and rather than parry, Henry threw himself to one side. He slid a dozen feet, crossing alternating bands of hot and cold. He worried he'd just slide off, but he came to a stop inches from the edge. Quickly, he pulled out his shield. Heimdall covered the distance between them in two great strides and Henry lashed out, not at the god himself, but at the band of blue light at his feet intending to cut it out from under his opponent's feet.

              The sword passed through the bridge like it was made of water. The minimal resistance threw Henry off balance, and Heimdall slammed his weapon against Henry's shield. He slid another couple of inches. Behind Heimdall, Andromeda's still form stirred. Desperate to keep his opponent's attention, Henry followed Heimdall's attack with a thrust of his own, knowing it would leave him open. Heimdall grinned. He flicked away Henry's attack and touched him on the shoulder with the flat of his blade. Henry's face heat up.

              "You have heart, boy. I'll give you that, and no one can fault your courage, but there is nothing more you can do here. Turn back. Take the girl with you."

              As if on cue, Andromeda leapt on his back. The distraction would only last a moment, and Henry thrust with all his might, trusting the sword to enhance his blow. It sank into Heimdall's armor an inch. The god reached back and plucked Andromeda off him. He looked at Henry and sighed before he tossed her at him. The edge was right behind him. He couldn't dodge. Instead, he braced himself, not to catch her, but only to keep them both from falling. She slammed into him far harder than he expected, and the impact lifted him off the ground. Desperately, he grabbed her with his left arm and tried to jam the sword into the bridge, but it passed through as easily as before, and Bifrost vanished into the clouds above them.

              He didn't know how long they tumbled through the air before they finally broke through the clouds. Snow blanketed a frozen landscape, and they were heading right for a deep canyon. For a second, he thought they would hit at the edge, but they missed it by a few feet. He had only seconds. The canyon was thinning, and the sloping wall rushed up to meet them.

              "Hang on to me," he cried out as he let go of Andromeda and gripped his hilt with both hands.

              A moment later, her arms closed around his chest. The wall came closer. He lifted his sword overhead and jammed it in. Shards of ice flew everywhere. They started slowing down, but the freezing air numbed his fingers, even through the protection of the cloak. He tried to use his legs to keep himself from running into the frozen wall, but they hadn't slowed enough, and he slammed into it. Cold like he had never felt raced through him. Ice tore at his face and chest. His fingers threatened to slip off of the sword. Andromeda screamed as the canyon wall tore her arms. They came open, and for a moment, Henry was afraid she would fall, but his head jerked back as she grabbed his cloak. Choking and freezing, it was all he could do to hang on. They were going slower now. He thought he could see the metal of the blade bending, but he knew it wouldn't break. Like his shirt and cloak, it was god forged.

              The cloak. The cloak that was supposed to protect him against heat and cold which, according to Hephaestus, only the strongest magic could counter. Panic shot through him, overriding the pain, but there was nothing he could do. He looked on in horror, and the metal groaned. They were only about a hundred feet from the canyon bottom, and he began to hope they would make it, when the blade snapped. He barely had time to scream before crashing into the frozen ground.