by M. H. Bonham
“Hey there, big boy.”
I turned and looked at the woman in question. Yeah, she had one of those pre-canned avatars that made her look like a school girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore what looked like a school uniform, which was way too little clothing for this place, but it was standard with the pre-canned avatar, which meant this was either a newbie or a dealer looking to catch people off guard.
I suspected the latter. I was wary because even though her avatar was young and female, I had no idea if that’s what she was, and I wasn’t interested in anything she was selling. “Go away.”
“Aww, is that how you talk to someone who wants to show you a good time?”
“No, that’s how I talk to you.” I glared, knowing well that my avatar could be scary if I wanted it to be.
“I have Brain Dust.”
“Yeah, and I’m a cop. You’re under arrest for narcotics…”
Sure as shit that did the trick. As quickly as the avatar appeared, it disappeared. Not that I had jurisdiction if “she” was outside of Denver. Chances are “she” was from some other country. The drug trade was still big in many parts of the world as people rushed to make a living off of other people’s addictions. I made a quick note as to the EFPA or the Enchanted Forest Protocol Address and found it was a throwaway address as part of the Dark Forest Net.
I sighed. Good luck having any law enforcement team find them. Maybe Spaz could do it, if he had enough time and motivation, but me? Not so much.
I had hoped that Spaz or Kira would’ve shown up when I popped in, but no such luck. I took a few steps, listening to the satisfying crunch of leaves beneath my feet when I felt a nudge against my leg.
I turned around, fully expecting to see the drug dealer again only to see Luna in her silver wolf form. “Hey, Magic Man, I see you didn’t take long to get here. How long were you waiting?”
I shrugged. “Maybe a couple of minutes. I was hoping Spaz would pop by once I was online, but I don’t think he’s going to.”
Luna delicately scratched an ear with her hind leg. “Yeah, that seems odd that he wouldn’t be here. He usually keeps tabs on the pack members when they come online.”
“Hmm.” I looked over the idyllic scene. “Where do you think he is?”
“Maybe the Archive?” Luna shook herself—a very wolf-like gesture.
I considered the possibility. The Archive and the Library inside it moved within cyberspace due to the hackers who were always trying to attack it. But for some reason, I didn’t think Spaz and Kira were there. So, instead I wandered over to a bench I conjured out of code and sat down. Luna hopped onto the bench and leaned against me. I stroked her fur idly while I thought. “I’m not sure about that. Maybe if I could pull up a directory of the latest Enchanted Forest map, I’d have an inkling.”
Luckily, being in the Enchanted Forest gave you access to its maps. I caused a tablet to appear in my hands and scrolled down the directory. The Forest had grown a lot since I last accessed it. It was huge and many experts speculated that it would eventually grow in size as large as the Universe.
Right now, it was maybe about as big as the planet Earth, which was plenty big enough, in my opinion. I scrolled through the varying “worlds” within the Enchanted Forest and frowned, just looking at the As:
A
A
A/
A1
A11
A121
AA/
AAlpha…
“Crap, who the fuck names these?” I grumbled. My guess was that hackers put bots out to create pocket worlds within the Enchanted Forest so that they could sell them for Bitcoin to the highest bidders. As I watched, some of the worlds disappeared from the list and others popped up. Luna rested her avatar’s head against my shoulder and I could feel her hot breath against my face. Okay, not really my face, but you get the idea.
“Those are weird.” Luna nodded in agreement.
I stroked her fur absently and scrolled down, watching the names change. A couple caught my eye and I scrolled down to get a closer look. One was named Yggdrasil.
“If you were hiding Fenrir, where would you put him?”
Luna cocked her head. “Well, assuming he was here inside the Enchanted Forest, I would put him in someplace that he would be mostly at home in. Maybe Jotunheim?”
I nodded and considered that thought. “But he would only hide his mind here, not his body, right?”
Luna contemplated that for a moment. “Yeah, I would guess so…”
I looked at her. “Unless gods have powers here we don’t. Fenrir is the son of a god and a Jotun.”
“Actually we’re both Jotun.”
We both turned and looked to see Loki leaning against a tree.
Chapter Fourteen
“Where have you been?” I stared at the red-headed god in disbelief. “You were supposed to meet us at Trader Vic’s.”
“Yeah, and I see how heartbroken you are about it.” Loki studied his fingers and began chewing on a hangnail.
“Why weren’t you there?” I asked.
“I’m really not welcomed there since I was there the last time.” The god of mischief shrugged.
“Wait, you’ve been to Trader Vic’s?” Luna asked, cocking her head like a puppy that has heard a strange sound.
“Yeah, but that was a long time ago, before you were born. Alaric doesn’t want me near the place.”
I stared at the god. The Alpha of a werewolf pack could keep a god out? Just how powerful was Alaric? “Really, what did you do?”
“Ask him.” Loki shrugged again. “I’m not in the mood to discuss it.”
“So, why are you here?” Luna asked.
“I thought this would be a good place to have a private conversation.”
I facepalmed. “Have you any idea how many snoopers hang around out here?”
“Probably a lot, which is why I’m doing this.” Loki snapped his fingers.
Suddenly we were no longer in the Forest where it was autumn, but sitting next to a roaring fire in three chairs. Luna was sitting beside me in her own chair, no longer in her wolf form, but instead looking as though she was in her new moon phase. She wore a T-shirt and jeans with some kick-ass boots. Her T-shirt said, Loki Rocks!
The chair were especially comfortable and made of red leather. Next to them sat walnut end tables each with mugs of coffee on coasters that had “Name Your Norse Gods” images imprinted on them. I picked up the coffee mug and sniffed the contents. It smelled like some of the best roast Eir’s house produced. My coaster was a picture of Tyr with his hand being crunched off by Fenrir. Luna had Freyja, the goddess of love and war, on her coaster as she picked up the mug and took a tentative sip after smelling it. Loki sat in the biggest chair with the largest mug on a coaster which held an image of him. Typical.
“Where are we?” I asked as I stared into the coffee, trying to decide if I should drink it, even if Luna didn’t smell anything wrong with it.
“Oh fer cryin’ out loud. If I wanted to kill you, I could do so in a heartbeat,” Loki grumbled. “Drink the damn coffee. It’s the best.”
I nodded and took a sip. True to his word, the coffee tasted like one of the best roasts I’ve drank. “It is good.”
“See? You can trust me on some things.” Loki nodded.
“Okay, fair enough. Where are we?”
“A corner of the Enchanted Forest I created.” Loki smiled at my surprised look. “Come on, you can’t expect for there to be mischief here without the god of mischief getting involved, right?”
“Good point,” I admitted. “But doesn’t it take programming and understanding the protocols, and such?”
“Mmm, technomage, definitely.” Loki nodded. “But to answer your question, no I don’t need to learn those things. I just will it and it happens—at least in the Enchanted Forest.”
“Well, I’m not exactly a mage…”
“Quit the false modesty, Ironspell. It doesn’t suit you. You’r
e the son of Evrardin and Sabine, which makes you a mage, or wizard—if you prefer,—and one of the major players right now, given your proclivity for technomagic. In fact, if you kept your link up all the time to the Enchanted Forest, you’d be able to use those powers in RL.”
Luna nodded. “I’ve been telling him he’s more powerful than he thinks, but he doesn’t listen to me.”
Loki looked askance at her, but his expression was carefully guarded. “You’re the descendant of Light Elves and Drow, which further boosts your magic. The schools these days are deplorable, by the way. You’re just beginning to learn what you should’ve learned all along.”
“Well, excuse me for growing up with a single parent who barely made enough to put food on the table.”
He shook his head. “I’m not blaming Sabine for your early education—she did what she could. But her education isn’t that hot either. She’s stayed a hedge witch instead of using her mage powers.”
“I think that would be her own choice.” I felt my throat tighten in anger.
“Yes, but she could’ve protected you and found a better place to educate you, instead of relying on Evrardin’s curse. You could’ve learned with the best mages in Europe.” Loki shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what she was thinking.”
“Maybe she was just thinking how to survive with an infant and just losing her husband.” I glared at him. “Look, I really don’t need your armchair quarterbacking over my and my mom’s lives. We did the best we could. If that’s all you have to say, send Luna and I back into the Forest.”
Loki shook his head and sighed. “People always get pissed off when I tell the truth.” He paused. “Come to think of it, they get pissed off when I lie, too.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t talk?” Luna suggested.
“Maybe youngsters shouldn’t talk when there are adults talking.” Loki glared at her.
A deep, throaty growl emanated from Luna’s throat. For a moment or two, I thought she would wolf-out, only I remembered we were in the Enchanted Forest, and none of this was real. Which was a shame, because I was definitely enjoying the coffee.
I gripped Luna’s hand. Let me handle this, I said in pack mindspeak. I turned to Loki. “Okay, you’ve gotten your digs in, what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Fenrir, of course. Why else would you be here?”
“Maybe I like it here, and wanted to spend some time with my girlfriend.”
Loki laughed. “Don’t try to pull one over on the old trickster here. One thing I do know are lies—and that one is poor, at best. You’re looking for Spaz and Kira because you think despite Alaric’s oath to the archangel, he has Fenrir—or, at least knows where Fenrir is. And you suspect Fenrir is somewhere in the Enchanted Forest.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay, suppose I am. We all know you can’t bring your body into the Enchanted Forest.”
“Yet. But that’s precisely what Kira and Spaz are working on.” Loki took another gulp of coffee, waved his other hand, and it transformed into a mead cup. “Much better.” He took a deep draught. “And I applaud them for their tenacity, but ultimately, they will fail.”
“Why is that?” I blinked.
“Neither of them are technomages or biomages. They haven’t the ability to transform matter into energy in a way that it can be reconstituted again on both sides. They’re very talented, with powers almost mage-like, but if they hadn’t been bitten, they’d still be Normals.
I hadn’t considered that. “But suppose they found a technomage who could?”
“You don’t have the training, and while you’re certainly talented, I’m not sure you could pull it off. In fact, I’d argue there isn’t a technomage or biomage around who could do it. I don’t think most gods could do it.”
“You mean, you’re not really here.”
“I didn’t say that.” Loki smiled slyly.
A silence followed and I pondered his words. “How did you hear about the angel and what he said, even though you’re banned from Trader Vic’s?”
“So, you’re not the dumb cop most people take you for. Good, I like that.” Loki grinned. “I wondered if you would catch on.”
“I’m a cop—and believe it or not, most cops are pretty smart.” Again, a tickle of annoyance tightened my throat.
“Whatever.” Loki waved his hand dismissively. To my surprise, our nearly empty coffee mugs filled again. “I have my resources most don’t know about—not even the birdbrains.”
“You mean angels.”
“Birdbrains—they run around and do their god’s bidding. Not a single bit of initiative in the bunch. Except, maybe Michael. He’s a tough warrior. Don’t cross him. Cross—get it?” He laughed at his joke.
Luna groaned and shook her head. I facepalmed.
“That would send me to Hell, for sure, if their monotheon was in charge.” Loki grinned at me.
I winced. “So, you were listening in on our conversation—how much did you hear?”
“All of it. Even the part where the birdbrain offered his help.” Loki shrugged. “Nice, but you really won’t need it. You’ve been taking on some pretty serious hitters in the Supe world for some time.”
“Thanks, but let’s get back to the problem. Spaz and Kira are trying to hide Fenrir in the Enchanted Forest—but what good will that do?”
“Isn’t it obvious? They mean to keep him out of Odin’s hands and stop Ragnarok.”
“But that won’t work,” Luna objected. “Even if they managed to get Fenrir into the Enchanted Forest, he’ll still be on Earth.”
“Will he?” Loki cocked his head at her.
“Are you saying Normals created another dimension with the Enchanted Forest?” The idea intrigued me.
“I don’t know. What do you think?” Loki sat back and stared at the fire as he drank the mead. “It is a form of magic—otherwise technomages wouldn’t be able to manipulate it so readily.”
“By that reasoning, nature would be a form of magic because druids manipulate it,” I said.
“Who says nature isn’t magic?” Loki raised an eyebrow.
I fell silent and gazed at the god. Loki ignored my stare and continued to look into the fire. “You know what the Asgardians will do if they find Fenrir,” he said at last.
“Assuming they can capture him again,” I remarked.
“He was young when they tricked him into binding him with Gleipnir the first time. Each time he’s escaped Asgard, they’ve managed to trick him and bring him back. But it has been a long while since they’ve caught him. They won’t trick him so easily now.” He looked askance at me. “And Tyr only has one hand. I’m sure he’s not in the mood to sacrifice the other.”
“I thought you wanted to stop Ragnarok,” I said. “If you believe the angel, we’ve started Fimbulvetr.”
“We have.” The god nodded. With that, he snapped his fingers.
A large flat screen appeared above the fireplace mantle. The 9News logo flashed over the meteorologist who was standing out in a snowstorm, obviously underdressed for the cold and wind with just a blue jacket with the 9News logo over his suit. Snow had already accumulated in his perfectly coifed hair as he tried to hide that he was shivering—and not doing a very good job.
“…this is Marty Meecam with 9News weather. Right now, the President has declared a national emergency as a huge arctic weather system has settled over the Northern Hemisphere and engulfing us in frigid temperatures and snow. At the same time, a weather system from Antarctica has engulfed the Southern Hemisphere, where temperatures are dropping rapidly. Snow has started falling in the Amazon and the Sahara…”
Loki snapped his fingers and the flat screen disappeared. “Fimbulvetr. As much as I love chaos, this will bring about Ragnarok far sooner than expected.”
“Surely Fenrir knows this,” I said. “Or doesn’t he care?”
“He most likely cares, but he doesn’t want to go back.”
“So, why talk to me?” I asked.
“And yet, you’ve said the universe has undergone many Ragnaroks.” I scratched my head. Despite the coffee, I felt like I was missing something. Something important.”
“Yes, it has. But for once there may be a way to stop the cycle, or delay it.”
“How? Kill Fenrir?”
Loki winced. “No, although I suppose you would stop it if you could kill him. But only Vidar, Odin’s son, can do that. No, I’m talking about getting him out of Midgard and away from the Nine Worlds. Someplace where the other gods can’t find him.”
“You want me to help Spaz and Kira? But you just said I’m not powerful enough to do that and that they will fail.”
“True, but they’re on the right track, even if they don’t have the magic necessary to move him.” Loki paused. “I do. And you might be able to, with my instruction.”
I shook my head. “Why don’t you ask Spaz and Kira if you can help?”
Loki shook his head. “Do you think they would accept my help?”
“Probably not,” I admitted. “But why should I help you?”
“For the obvious reason—to stop Ragnarok and give him a place to live in peace.” Loki glanced at Luna. “And there’s a less obvious reason…”
“What would that be?” I glanced at Luna, too. She had been quiet to the point of withdrawn in the conversation.