by Garnet Hart
Lawfer told him that Asra was in Alfheim now. Someone had brought her there. He hoped that she’d consider staying there instead. In Alfheim, she’d be safe. The gods wouldn’t want to take her as their sex slave now because he had already tainted her. The gods were too proud to take an Elf that had already been sullied.
“Your father looks depressed,” Lawfer said as they climbed the stairs going to Fenrir’s headquarters. “Roar was charged with treason, and you… convicted for treachery. Almost the same thing. How could a father take two deadly blows at the same time?”
Lior did not answer. He remembered how Fenrir used to scold him whenever he had committed mistakes. But this time, the graveness of his offense was probably too much for his father.
“You should have killed that woman two centuries ago,” Lawfer said. “None of these would have happened.”
Lior sighed. “Yes. But even if I’d be given another chance to do it again, I dunna think I could kill her.”
Lawfer was quiet for a while as they walked. “You fell in love with that Elf, haven’t you?”
He retained his silence.
“Your silence means yes. Why not just admit it?”
“Whatever I feel for her doesn’t matter.”
“I’m your friend. I care about you. You’re a god. It’s an abomination for a god to fall in love with a sex slave.”
“I’ve been denounced already. I’m no’ a god anymore. Your rules no longer apply to me.”
“Your father is trying to work it out with lord Odin. If you forget about that Elf, you might be reinstated.”
He shook his head. “I dunna want to be reinstated.”
“Then what do you want? You want to go back to Midgar and marry that Elf?”
Lior sighed. That seemed like a good idea, but his personal happiness had to be the least of his priorities. “I’m a Lycan, and my people are looking up to me to liberate them. I dunna want to fail them.”
Lawfer was frozen on his feet for a few seconds, staring at Lior in disbelief. “You don’t plan to fight against Asgard, do you?”
Lior didn’t answer. His silence was enough.
Lawfer shook his head. “I don’t want to cross swords with you, Lior.”
“You will no’. But you’ll have to kill me to stop me.”
Lawfer was not able to say anything more when they turned into the corner and knocked on Fenrir’s door.
“I’ll wait for you here,” Lawfer said before Lior
Entered Fenrir’s dwelling here in Asgard.
He pushed the heavy door. It moved easily.
He found his father sitting on his desk chair, his back on him and staring at the open sky through the glass wall. The vast room was grand and fit for a king. But Lior knew, it was a prison cell.
He closed the door behind him. “I’m here,” he said.
Fenrir slowly turned his chair around.
Something clogged his throat. It had been two hundred years since he last saw his father, but it felt like they were only together yesterday. He ached to run to him and hug him, but he knew he won’t be able to touch him. An invisible wall separated them. A wall that even the strongest Lycan can never break. How he had missed his old man.
What Lawfer said was true. Fenrir looked depressed. Even his thick beard and moustache could not hide the sadness on his face.
Fenrir rose to his feet, his seven and a half foot height towering in the middle of the room. He was taller than Odin for a few inches and had more muscles to flaunt, but even this giant Lycan had fallen under Odin’s power, had given up his pride and dignity as the king of Vanar to be a slave of Asgard all his life… all for the sake of his people.
Just so Odin would not execute and annihilate the Lycans, Fenrir had offered Odin his wisdom in battle, which Odin gladly accepted in preparation for a war against the Giants and the Demons.
But Fenrir’s sacrifice was not enough. The Lycans had been living a desperate life ever since Asgard had conquered Vanar that they’d rather choose execution than serve the Aesir gods. Lycans were proud creatures, and nothing could be more insulting to them than serving other races, and the gods were no exemption.
“Have they been treating you right in jail?”
Lior nodded. “Dunna worry about me. I’m fine.”
Fenrir narrowed his eyes, as if his highland accent sounded strange to him. But he chose to ignore it and sighed. He turned his back from him, again facing the glass wall. “Odin has not forgiven you, and has ordered that you be cast out of Asgard immediately.”
Lior did not feel anything. In fact, he cannot wait to leave this world. It didn’t matter if nobody would regard him as a god anymore.
But there was one problem. If he could never set a foot in Asgard again, then it meant never seeing his father again, as well.
“How about you?” Lior asked.
“I will have to stay here. I’ve made an oath. I’ll have to live with it until Odin releases me of my bond.”
“Have you no’ served him long enough?”
“I’ve pledged for eternity, my son. I gave my word.”
Lior blinked away the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyes. “I’m joining Garr’s group. I’m taking back Vanar by all means, and when I’ve gathered enough army, I’ll attack this blasted world to get you.”
Fenrir turned to see him, horror on his face. “You cannot be serious about that.”
“Our people need a home. They canna remain slaves in their own world. I must free them.”
“I know, son… but declaring war against Asgard will place Vanar under risks of unending series of attacks.”
“Then I’ll defend it endlessly.”
Fenrir shook his head. “No need for that. I’ve already made a pact with Odin just a while back. He is withdrawing his troops out of Vanar soon, and then you will be crowned as the King of the Lycans, to rule Vanar.”
Lior laughed sarcastically. “I dunna believe him. He’s probably up to something.”
“No, Lior, Odin’s not doing this in favor of you but more for himself.”
“For what?”
Fenrir sighed. “He’s in doubt of the Lycans’ loyalty now, especially after Roar’s and your betrayal. Aside from the group of Garr, there are rumors of an even bigger rebellion in Vanar. Odin cannot afford to execute anyone now. He needs them now that Surt poses a big threat to his kingdom, but he fears that the Lycans might turn their claws against the Aesirs in the battlefield instead of the enemies. So he wants someone who can handle the Lycans and who can guarantee their loyalty to Asgard.”
“And he chose me?”
“Who else could? Your brother has been at large for some time now.”
“So, Odin’s setting Vanar free for his own benefit? He expects the Lycans to help him in his battle with Surt, with me, as their commander?”
“It’s not a one-sided benefit, Lior. Think about it… you’ll be freeing the Lycans from the Aesirs. Isn’t that what they’ve always longed for? Their freedom?”
“But then again they’d be subjected to a war they never wanted.”
“You will be the king. You will have to decide if you want to be involved in a war or not. Odin has only asked that Vanar and Asgard must remain friends with each other.”
“That’s all he asked?”
“He has no choice either. Surt has threatened to attack Asgard soon, and Odin needs to withdraw his troops from Vanar. The rebellion in Vanar is getting out of control, and Odin knows that soon his troops in Vanar can no longer contain the resistance. So his best choice is to free the
Lycans and make peace with them.”
“The Aesirs had been slaving the Lycans for so long. Do you think they will accept his offer of friendship?”
“In behalf of Vanar, I’ve accepted the peace pact between Vanar and Asgard. I’ve put my life on the line, so that if ever you decide to break the peace, Odin will have my head.”
Lior was dumbfounded. That shrewd Odin really knew how
to play his cards. “He wants to make sure you’ll stay here and serve him forever, is that it?”
Fenrir nodded. “And there’s more. As a condition to this peace pact, and to make sure that the two worlds will remain at peace with each other, Odin demanded that you marry his daughter, Var.”
Lior’s eyes widened. He had to admit that once he had dreamt of marrying Var to raise his status as a god in Asgard, but that had been a long time ago.
He had already changed his mind.
Fenrir met his gaze, as though he knew what was going on in his mind. “I’ve heard you’ve been involved with that half-Elf more than you should have… but this is for Vanar… for your people… for their freedom… for their happiness. You can go back to Midgar and live in peace according to your heart’s desire… or you can accept this marriage and free your people, be their king, and restore back the peace and prosperity that Vanar once had. It’s your choice.”
Lior was silent. This had been his lifelong dream, to free Vanar and give his people back their land. The son of a king was expected to make the welfare of his people his priority… and nothing else, even if he had to give up his own happiness.
“And there’s more,” Fenrir said, “and this comes from me.”
“What?”
“If you are to be the king of Vanar, get rid of that terrible accent. It’s a disgrace to your race.”
His ears were suddenly afire. His own father just insulted the language he’d grown fond of.
The glaring light briefly blinded Asra when she opened her eyes. She was on a bed in the middle of what looked like a circular room made out of glass. She sat up and looked around, but nobody was there.
The last memory she could recall was the horrifying sight of Demons and creatures she had never seen before. Then Lior pulled her tongue out and left her spitting blood. Her entire body became numb but she thought she’d choke on her own blood and die.
Slowly, she put her fingers inside her mouth, afraid of what she might find. To her surprise, she felt the tip of her tongue.
Quickly, she jumped off the bed and stood before the life size glass. She stuck out her tongue and almost wept when she saw her tongue was whole.
“Surprised?” a woman’s voice said.
Shocked, she turned to the voice and saw a tall woman with same light blonde hair like she had. She looked just like the painting of her mother.
“Mom?” she asked dubiously.
The woman smiled and approached her. “My name is Eruanna, the queen of the Light Elves, your mother’s sister.
Her eyes widened. “Then you’re my aunt?”
Eruanna nodded. “I’ve often wondered how you look like, but we Elves are not allowed to leave Alfheim.”
Asra looked around. “So this is Alfheim?”
“Yes, the world of the Light Elves. This is where your mother came from.”
Asra stepped out of the door to have a view of her mother’s world. It was like entering a fairy tale. She saw a huge water fall, a beautiful meadow in bloom with flowering plants, and lots of trees. Indeed, the world of the Elves was something to behold. It was magical. If she had known she had an aunt here, she could have chosen to live here.
“But I thought I don’t have to come here anymore after I lost my tongue. Am I still the songstress?”
Eruanna shook her head. “A songstress power is in her tongue. You’ve lost it. What you have now is an ordinary tongue.”
Asra touched the tip of her tongue again. She could not find any difference. “Then why am I in Alfheim?”
“A Demon handed you to the guards at the gate of Alfheim.”
“A Demon?” she asked. “Did he say his name?”
“No. I did not even see him. He just told the guard to bring you to me and restore your tongue.”
Asra felt tears collecting in her eyes. It had to be Raith. He must be alive.
“Do you know that Demon?” Eruanna asked, as if she could read right through her eyes.
“I know only one Demon, and he is the only one who’d waste time to bring me here.”
“A friend?”
Asra nodded. “Probably. He saved my life once.”
Eruanna smiled. “If you’re going to live here, you’ll have to forget all friends you’ve known in Midgar. Here in Alfheim, no one is allowed to enter except Elves.”
“But I’m half-human.”
“You’re special. Although you don’t seem to possess much of the Elves’ abilities, you’re still one of us… and you’re my niece.”
Asra could see through Eruanna’s eyes how happy she was to see her, but this was not her world. Even if Midgar was not as perfect as Alfheim, it was the world she had come to love. “I can’t stay here.”
Eruanna’s smile faded. “Where will you go? The Lycans have left Midgar for good. They have taken back their land.”
Asra’s eyes widened in surprise. “Since when?”
“You have been sleeping for a week. A lot of things have happened. Lior is now the king of Vanar, and he is engaged to lord Odin’s daughter, Var. Their union will mark the reconciliation between Vanar and Asgard.”
A giant spear seemed to pierce her heart. Lior was engaged to a goddess? “That’s not true.” Her voice cracked.
A dose of sympathy filled the Elf queen’s eyes. “So the rumor was true… that lord Lior had fallen in love with you… that was why he failed to deliver you to Alfheim in time.”
“Tell me, Aunt Eruanna. Is it really true he’s getting married?”
Eruanna stroked her hair. “He is. The wedding will take place next week, and the feast will last for three days.”
Chapter 28
Asra had been standing on the side of the street for half an hour now, watching Bran shooting a scene where his character was challenged by mobs into a gun fight. There were a lot of people watching as well that she had to rise on her toes to get a view.
Finally, the director announced a break. She saw Bran being escorted inside his RV. Quickly, she squeezed her way out of the crowd to get to him.
“Bran,” she called out but the Vampire, who seemed weakened by the heat of the sun, did not hear her and entered the trailer.
“Miss, this is a restricted area.” A guard blocked her way to the door.
“My name is Asra MacLeod. Bran is my friend.”
“Mister Russel needs to rest. Please wait for him to come out.”
“For how long should I wait?” she asked. Just before the guard could speak, she saw Bran’s head poke out of the door.
Bran spotted her. “Hey, lassie! Come over here.”
The guard stepped aside and allowed her to pass through. “It’s getting difficult to get near you now. You’re a star,” she said.
Bran grinned and motioned for her to sit on the couch while he took two soda cans from the fridge. “Make that a superstar after the release of this movie, and a president afterwards.”
“You’re going to make history.”
Bran’s grin widened as he handed her a can of orange drink. “You shouldn’t be loitering around here. It’s good no one recognized you. I thought you were in Alfheim?” he asked as he settled beside her.
“Who told you?”
“My producer.”
“Lior was here?” she asked.
“Yes, he came to convince Garr to go back to Vanar. Apparently, Odin has relinquished his claim over Vanar and made peace with the Lycans.”
Asra knew that. Her aunt told her. “Did Garr go?”
“He did,” Bran nodded, “along with the rest of his group. They’re all in Vanar now, preparing for the wed—”
Bran quickly closed his lips, but she already knew what he was about to say.
“I know… I know he’s engaged to a goddess.”
Bran sighed and leaned back on the couch. “Well, that cocksucker’s not worthy of you anyway. He’s the king of the Lycans, and he has responsibilities. You have to understand that. The problem is… we’re having trouble abou
t his cows. With all his pack gone, the cows have no one to tend to them, and they’re indispensable for the Vampire’s survival. Lysander has dispatched temporary workers there but it’s not enough.” He paused and looked at her. “Do you want to go back to Skye and become the Mistress of the cows?”
Asra shook her head. What good would it do for her to go back to Skye if Lior would not be there for her? It would only hurt her more. “I’m not sure I can manage a ranch that big.”
“Then perhaps you’d like to go back to your castle in Dunvegan?”
“That’s not my castle anymore.”
“It is now. Lior bought it for you.”
Her jaw dropped. “He did?”
“Yes. You haven’t been informed yet?”
She shook her head.
“Well, the MacLeod family was having some financial troubles and the castle was in need of major repair. I don’t know what happened but Randall MacLeod suddenly decided to auction the castle. The highest bid was over a billion dollars, so Lior offered his pendant to Randall to top the bid. Randall accepted it. Gustavo is now working on transferring the ownership to your name.”
“He sold his mother’s pendant to buy the castle for me?” she asked.
“Something like that,” Bran shrugged.
Asra blinked away the welling tears in her eyes. She thought that Lior had forgotten her so easily, and that was why he had decided to marry Var, but things were clear to her now.
Lior loved her. He would never, for the life of him, sacrifice his precious pendant just to buy the castle if he didn’t. There had to be a reason why he agreed to marry Var, and she had to find that out. She must not give him up without a fight.
“I will go to the wedding,” she said bravely. “Show me how I can go to Asgard.”
Bran looked at her in disbelief. “I thought you already knew about this. You need to be dead to go to Asgard. Your human body cannot enter.”
“Lior was able to go there.”
“Lior’s a god. Gods have physical forms in Asgard, but in Midgar they are spirits so they need vessels.”