Chapter 10
They’d been on the road for a week already and Kol was seriously beginning to get bored and disappointed, they hadn’t run into any monsters. No one had even tried to rob them or attack them during the journey. Bjorn had filled their days training them in all the combat arts he knew, each day they drilled everything they had learned over and over again, the moves were complicated and impossibly perfect pushing them to their limits in multiple ways. Kol had never seen some of the moves he taught them, Bjorn even taught them how to fight blindfolded. They learned how to track, hunt and how to smell their enemy coming and hear arrows or daggers flying through the air.
Kol took to the training like a fish to water but Hagar struggled with almost everything they learned. It took him double the time and effort to learn things that took Kol one try. As a result a rift had begun to grow between them from the praise that Kol constantly received. Bjorn had assured them that he had to judge them differently because Kol was a demigod and that gave him an unfair advantage, he explained that because of his lineage it was much simpler for Kol to absorb the training and that Hagar was picking up the exercises faster than any human his age would have, but it didn’t seem to help his animosity towards him.
One afternoon after the training exercises Kol and Hagar were walking back to their camp when Hagar just stopped in his tracks with his head down.
“What’s wrong?” Questioned Kol noticing he stopped.
“Why?”
“Because you stopped and you look like something’s wrong.” He says flatly.
“No, I mean why do you always have to show me up?”
“Show you up?” He asks confused.
“Everything we train on you always have to outperform me on.” He snaps.
“I’m not trying to outperform you. I just do what I do. I’m not competing with you. All I want to do is learn and whenever I take something on it’s to the best I can do. If you’re feeling inadequate that’s your problem not mine.”
“He’s my father not yours!” He yells stomping over to stand face to face with Kol.
“So what!? I don’t want your damn father! I have one of my own now get out of my face before I make you!” He yells back.
“Yeah Loki, there’s a great role model.” He retorts.
“Loki is a god show some respect! And at least I had a father I didn’t have to beg for one like you.” Yells Kol pushing him so hard Hagar loses balance.
Flowing with the motion Hagar’s training kicks in performing a back hand spring at the end of which he draws his sword ready to fight.
“Put it down Hagar it’s not worth you getting beat and losing what little confidence you have.” Says Kol eyeing him.
“I’m not afraid of you Kol!” He screams trembling.
“I never said you were Hagar but we both know that you are. Now put away your sword.” He replies evenly.
“Draw yours.”
“Isn’t this a surreal little scene.” Smiles Bjorn walking up to them. “Now why would my two apprentices be at each other’s throats?”
“I’ll let Hagar field that one he’s the one with the problem.” Sneers Kol.
Staring daggers at Kol Hagar remains silent for a moment while Bjorn stares at him expectantly.
“Well?” Demands Bjorn.
“I feel that Kol is purposely trying to outperform me in order to gain your affections, furthermore, I believe he is doing this because he craves a new father because he is ashamed of his own.” Growls Hagar.
“Hog wash! He’s just pissed off because he can’t stand the fact that he’s second best. I may not like some of the things my father has done but he is my father none the less, I claim him now and always will and I’ll tell you why. I claim him because when I become the greatest hero Asgard and Midgard has ever seen they will know that it was done by the son of Loki! I am not bound to his evil nor are my siblings and finally everyone will know to judge us individually.”
Staring at the two of them for a moment Bjorn says nothing at first before walking up to Hagar placing his hands on his shoulders.
“Understand Hagar, I have chosen you as my son not Kol and aside from that he does not desire a new father. To me he is an apt student and one day I hope a good friend, you on the other hand will one day come to my home and I will teach you everything about myself and your new family. Understand that you have already made me proud and continue to every day.”
“What?” Questions Hagar in disbelief.
“Yes you make me proud my son and you have a family now that is larger than you can possibly imagine and for better or worse every member of that family deserves your respect.” Smiles Bjorn giving him a hug.
Awkwardly Kol fidgets a bit unsure how to handle being around the situation and having never had that kind of family love he feels uncomfortable and like a trespasser.
“I’m going to head back to camp and let you two finish talking.” He says finally breaking the silence.
“If you wouldn’t mind Kol would you take to the hunt? I think we are all in need of a grand meal in the meanwhile we’ll head to the stream and spend some quality time fishing.” Says Bjorn staring at him with a look that told him it was not up for debate.
“I’ll find us a meal fit for a king.” Smiles Kol running off into the denser part of the forest.
Slowing to a trot Kol surveys his surroundings looking for signs of animals, after a few minutes he spots the tracks of some deer. Getting his bow and arrow ready Kol closes his eyes reaching out with all of his senses, with a large sniff of the breeze he picks up the faint scent of his prey not far off.
Quietly he stalks through the heavy brush at the base of the trees scattered everywhere.
“There’s got to be a better way.” He thinks looking around.
Zeroing in on the thick tree branches high above Kol smiles climbing quickly. Finally with his new vantage point he spots the deer grazing far off in the distance, with amazing grace he bounds from branch to branch through the forest until in utter silence he lands in the tree above the deer.
With perfect skill he targets the largest buck in the herd letting his arrow fly piercing his heart killing it instantly. As the herd scatters in fear Kol jumps down from the high branches with glee at the meal he will enjoy later until he reaches the ground to find that his kill is already gone.
Confused he slowly walks to the spot where the deer died inspecting the ground for a moment before looking around.
“How is this possible?” He questions aloud to himself.
“Whom do you speak to young man?” Comes a beautiful sing song voice from behind him.
With amazing speed Kol rolls forward turning in the middle of it to come up facing the stranger with his bow drawn, but the moment he sees the young woman he lowers his weapon staring at her.
A beautiful young woman is standing before him with pale and beautiful skin which is milky white and perfectly fair. Her eyes were shimmering green and her hair was ash blonde hanging down to her waist on her perfect figure. But the jaw dropping thing that froze Kol in place was the fact that the only things covering her privates was leafs.
“I take it from your silence that I am pleasing to your eyes?” She questions innocently.
“Wood spirit?” He asks returning to his senses.
With a giggle she slightly covers her mouth. “No, is that all you have to say?”
“Forgive me miss, my name is Kol. And yes you are very pleasing to the eye, are you a water spirit per chance then?”
“No, I am just a wayward soul looking for companionship.”
“I see.” He says on guard again. “Pray tell me how is it you came to be in your current predicament?”
“Tis a long story stranger do you have time to hear it?”
“Actually I must find my kill and return to my comrades, I am on a very important quest that I must complete. If you so wish though you can keep me company and relay your story along the way.”
“If only to spend more time
with you.” She smiles.
“Well then walk with me miss…?”
“Lathea.” She smiles sweetly.
“Pleased to meet you Lathea now tell me your story if you will.”
“I guess the beginning would be when I was still a small child, my father and mother were wonderful parents, I want you to understand that before I go any further. No matter what you hear during this story don’t judge them harshly, please promise me that.” She says turning him to face her.
“I promise.” He assures her halfheartedly.
“Thank you, I am sorry for my passion on the subject but many people over the years have misjudged my parents for the choices they made and no matter what they have done they are still my parents and I love them.”
“Believe me I understand better than you know.” He mutters beginning to walk again.
“I’m glad, so to continue my story. My family and I lived in the most perfect place in all the world, every kind of fruit tree was there and the rivers and pools were the clearest and most refreshing you could ever let touch your lips. All the animals of the world wondered through the garden without fighting one another and no matter which one it was you could stroll right up to it and pet it without fear. It was paradise and life was utterly prefect, well I was very young and one day my siblings and I went playing in a puddle in the garden, my mother had told us to not get dirty but being children we of course disregarded what she said. The hours past and finally our mother found us covered in mud like it was a second skin, unfortunately our grandfather was coming to visit and my mother worried he would be upset at the state we were in.” She pauses to look at him.
Looking up from the trail Kol smiles at her reassuringly “Please continue I am listening.”
“So anyway, my mother frantically took us down to the river and began to bathe us as quickly as she could. She would have succeeded but for a few of us naughty children, we ran far away playing hide and seek and before she could find us my grandfather showed up calling out for my family to meet him. Panicky my mother told those of us that were still dirty to stay hidden from him, feeling the fear of him ourselves we did as we were told. As they talked he asked her where the rest of her children were, unwisely she lied to him saying that this was all of her children. He eyed her for a bit waiting for her to tell the truth but she did not fold under his gaze, with a deep breath he told her “So be it, as you have said it so shall it be! From this moment on let anything that has tried to hide shall hence forth remain hidden.” At that moment myself and four of my siblings disappeared from our home and were cast to different forests in the world and since that time I have endured in this place.”
“A sad tale, my heart cries for you. May I ask why you never tried to return home?” He questions getting lost in her beautiful eyes.
“Alas, shortly after we were cursed so were the rest of my family. You must understand that the place we lived was provided by my grandfather, he said it was ours to do with as we pleased except for one rule. My parents broke the one rule and lost our home forever while at the same time cursing the rest of the family.”
“I am so sorry, after they themselves got cursed were you reunited with your loved ones?” He asks while staring at her lips.
“No they would not accept us, as such; I have been alone for a very long time now. It’s horrible, I just want someone I can love and spoil. Is that too much to ask?”
“Not at all.” He smiles stepping a bit closer to her.
“You are too sweet. It’s unfortunate that you must return to your friends. If you stayed with me I could make you happy, I’m sure of it. Must you really leave?”
“I…?” He says shaking his head slightly. “No I can stay a while, where shall we go?”
“I’d like to show you my home and when we get there I can give you a reason to stay with me.” She whispers in his ear rubbing her body against his.
“I can’t wait, take me there.”
Immortals Children Of The Gods Page 10