Chapter 24
“I suck at riddles.” Says Hallthor causing Kol and Curios to roll their eyes as they walk down to the beach.
“Believe it or not Hallthor we heard you the first five times you said that.” Sighs Curios.
“You don’t get it, I tried my hand at riddles, Thor gave me a riddle once so I could find magic armor but I couldn’t figure it out, I tried for a year straight and couldn’t figure it out.”
“You know I’d love to take a shot at helping you find that armor but right now we have a little too much going on. If we happen to survive these quests I’ll be more than happy to help you find it.” Smiles Kol looking at Curios who nods in agreement.
“I appreciate the offer guys but Thor told me that this quest was easily one that I or no demigod would be able to survive.” He says staring at the ground. “Maybe that’s why I didn’t figure it out, I hate to admit that I was a little afraid.”
“Fear is nothing to be ashamed of Hallthor, everyone feels it from time to time.” Says Curios trying to make him feel better.
“Out of curiosity what is the riddle?” Questions Kol.
Thinking for a moment Hallthor clears his throat. “In the land where the red wind blows and stones are made to point at the sky, there is a hall with ages past flowing right by your eye. Digging down is the way to find the first king who’s dressed in rags where it will be, but you better move once you have it post haste or no more days you shall see.”
“Cryptic.” Says Curious scratching his head.
“Hmm, interesting. We’ll figure it out and deal with it together.” Kol says stopping in front of a large ship.
“Here we are.” Curios stares at the ship.
“Well let’s get moving Ktn awaits.” Says Kol happily.
“Hey where are the bags Kol you said you were going to carry them.” Questions Hallthor.
“Right here.” Kol answers focusing energy between his hands for a second causing the bags to appear from thin air and then disappear again. “The advantage of magic.”
“I’ll say.” Curios answers. “What else can you do?”
“I can fly using magic and summon a magic staff to focus blasts of power through.”
“Anything without using magic?” Asks Curios.
“What about that freezing thing you do? Asks Hallthor.
“The freezing ability comes from Loki being a child of the frost giants, and my father along with being the god of magic also controls shape changing, manipulation, fire and thievery but I haven’t been able to shape shift yet or control fire and tricking people or stealing just doesn’t feel right.”
“We’ll all have to practice with our abilities even the ones we’re uncomfortable with, I have a feeling we’re going to need every ounce of power we have in our journey ahead, now what about your mother what was she like?” Questions Curios.
Hanging his head in a frown as he walks up the plank onto the ship Kol whispers the answer. “I never knew my mother and my father never talks about her, every time I bring it up he gets angry and changes the subject.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bring up a painful memory.”
Forcing a smile. “Not to worry Curios, there was no way for you to know.”
“Permission to come aboard?” Hollers Hallthor interrupting the others.
“Identify yourselves first!” Responds a voice.
“I am Kol and with me are Hallthor and Curios, Hecate sent us.”
“Come aboard.” Says a burly short round man about four feet tall.
He is broad chested with a long black flowing beard intermingled with his long black hair in a fantastic mess so you couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. He wore a chainmail shirt and brown pants tucked into his large black boots and at his side hung a sword that looked too big for him to lift as it slightly dragged along the floor.
“Let’s get something straight punks, I don’t like you and I guarantee that once you get to know me you won’t like me. The only reason I’m doing this is because of his precious daddy.” He says pointing at Curios.
“What?”
“I was a no one thrown out of my home because of my love of the sea, my most fervent wish was to sail the seas for the rest of my life but I had no way to buy a ship of my own. So I prayed and prayed to Poseidon, low and behold he answered. The old sea dog gave me this magic ship, I don't need a crew to run it all I have to do is think of where I want to go and it does. I don’t need to fix it because it fixes itself but anything you get from the gods comes at a price, in exchange for the ship I had to swear allegiance to the gods of the sea for ten years.”
“What a nice bed time story I’ll sleep better knowing you hate us and actually don’t want to be doing this.” Hallthor grunts stepping onto the ship.
“Right now let’s get underway Captain…?”
“Floggen.” He says heading to the wheel.
“Floggen the terrible?” Questions Hallthor with a laugh.
“Some call me that.” He huffs sticking out his chest and hitting it with pride.
“I pictured you differently, the stories say you are ten feet tall and the best swordsmen to sail the seas.” Clearly the stories are exaggerated.
“Wait the guy taking us to Ktn is a pirate?” Asks Kol “How can we trust you?”
“First off, if you think I’m not the best swordsmen on the sea feel free to test me, secondly I’m not a pirate, I prefer to call myself a treasure relocation expert. Third I don’t care if you trust me.”
“Best swordsmen or not you couldn’t handle any of us one on one let alone three so I’d rethink your little bravado because if we can’t trust you we’ll throw you over board and take the ship ourselves to Ktn after all I’m sure Curios could control the ship just fine.” Snaps Kol stomping towards Floggen with the others.
“You’d steal it from me? I wouldn’t expect such behavior from children of the gods.” He laughs heading the ship out to sea.
“I’m the son of Loki god of thieves and evil it wouldn’t be so out of the ordinary for me, besides according to you we’re just relocating the treasure we’ve found.” Laughs Kol summoning his staff.
“Ok, no need to get all worked up, I will tell you something to put your mind at ease. I can’t betray my promise to help, which means getting you there in one piece and if you need more convincing then I’ll let you in on a little secret another god, Njord is planning on testing you on this voyage, he is going to send some sort of monster against you. I wasn’t supposed to tell you but what the heck since were all friends here why not.” He smiles. “Feel better now?”
“Wonderful.” Says Hallthor turning a little green.
“Good I’m glad I can help, now with how fast this baby can travel we should be at Ktn in a few days, I mean provided you don’t die that is.”
“I’m not worried about it, we have the son of a sea god on our side.” Says Kol patting Curios on the back.
“Njord is a god of the sea as well though, for all we know he could counter my powers to test us.” Frowns Curios.
“Not exactly motivational is he?” Questions Floggen.
“Listen I’m not saying I can’t help or won’t try, I’m just saying let’s not bet everything on the fact that I’m the son of Poseidon.”
“I didn’t mean for it to sound like it’s all on you Curios, all I’m saying is I feel better that you are with us.” Kol amends.
“We’ll take care of anything he can send against us.” Hallthor says.
“Such confidence does you credit son of Thor.” Declares Hephaestus appearing next to Floggen.
“Great. Just what I need.” Complains Floggen.
“I see you still have the warming personality Floggen.” He laughs slapping him on the back so hard Floggen nearly flies over the helm.
“What would you expect from someone you had removed from his people?” He retorts righting himself again.
“For the last time I had nothing to do with yo
ur being cast out from the dwarf people you did that all on your own.”
“No wonder you’re so short.” Exclaims Hallthor.
“Excuse me?” Questions Floggen. “You got a problem with the dwarves or short people?”
“Not at all.”
“That’s it come here you little upstart.” Floggen yells pulling out his sword.
“While those two play you and Curios talk with me Kol.” Laughs Hephaestus watching Floggen chase Hallthor all over the ship.
“What can we do for you lord Hephaestus?” Questions Curios.
“It’s what I can do for you my young friends. My adopted son Vasos is currently on his quests, like you he and his companions have faced and will face many trails along the way before you must join with him and continue on by yourselves. The more that I thought about this the more it bothered me, I would prefer it if you both at least begin to talk now so you may get to know one another. It will help you both work together much easier when you meet, to that end I give you this automaton.” A large eagle lands on his arm from the sky. “With this creature you may speak a message and it will speed it to Vasos and he will do the same, simply press the button on the chest.”
“Thank you my lord but may I ask why it is that you didn’t take this to Vasos first? Surely it would have been much easier for you to take it to him.” Ponders Kol.
“Maybe it would have been were I not being watched so closely by Zeus. He believes I am helping Vasos too much.” He answers darkly.
“Not to sound ungrateful my lord but I think I deserve to know if that’s what this is really about.” Kol states.
“It is about helping you both I assure you.”
“Again we thank you then my lord.” Smiles Curios. “Is there no way that we can repay you?”
“Maybe there is a way you can Curios, my son and his friends haven’t the any powers over the sea. Already they have narrowly survived an encounter with a monster, if there is any way at all you could help I would appreciate it.”
“I will do my best to help them my lord.” He bows.
“Thank you, now I must go. I do not wish for certain other gods to find me here and trails of your own approach, farewell my young friends.” He says disappearing.
“Hey guys any help here would be nice.” Yells Hallthor climbing the mast with Floggen in hot pursuit.
“Hey short stuff relax already, Hallthor didn’t mean anything by what he said.” Shouts Curios.
“Short stuff?” Questions Floggen dropping down and stomping over towards Curios. “Say that to my face fish bait!”
“Fine.” Laughs Kol kneeling to see the dwarf eye to eye.
“Why you arrogant little…” Yells Floggen running at Kol and trying to tackle him only to fly through the conjured image sailing over board into the water.
“How’s the water little man?” Questions Kol staring at the dwarf.
“Pull me out right now!” He demands splashing wildly.
“Only if you’ve calmed down.”
“Fine I’m calm, now get me back on the ship so I can thrash you!” He yells back.
“I’m betting that’s the best we’re going to get out of him.” Curios says to Kol. “You want to do the honors or should I?”
“Be my guest.”
Instantly a torrent of water lifts Floggen out of the water depositing him on the deck.
“Now, no more trouble out of you or its back in the drink for good.” Kol says walking back to Hallthor who is just getting down from the mast. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Anyway, what did Hephaestus say?”
“He gave us a gift to communicate with our counterparts.” He answers.
Shoving his way in between them Floggen stares at Hallthor. “Next time you disrespect me, promise be damned I’ll end you for good.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you Floggen but if you attack me again all bets are off ugly.”
“We’ll see about that punk.” He says trudging towards his cabin.
“Idiot.” Yells Hallthor.
“Stupid!” He yells back slamming the door.
“I like that guy.” Says Hallthor happily turning back towards Kol.
“Right, anyway I’m going to send a message to Vasos now, I’m eager to find out about the guy.”
“What are you going to say?”
“Depends on Curios, have you decided what help you’re going to send?”
“Not yet.”
“You’ll hear.” Lifting his arm the eagle immediately lands on it, pressing the button Kol smiles. “Hail Vasos, I am Kol. Surely you have been told of me the way I have been told about you, your father gave us this gift so our two groups could communicate and we could get to know each other. Right now myself and my two companions Hallthor son of Thor, and Curios son of Poseidon are heading to Ktn. For our first quest I have been charged to find the lost god Od all we have is a riddle to go by, a riddle we have yet to solve. Also, Curios is planning on trying to help you on your journey over water as we have heard you have no powers over the water, we’re not sure what he’s going to do yet but anything we can do we will. I look forward to hearing from you, until then may the Norns bless your journey.”
Again Kol presses the button anxiously awaiting the result with a whirl of gears and mechanics the bird soars into the air shooting through the air so fast Kol can’t help but wonder how long it will be before it reaches Vasos.
“What do you think he’ll say?” Questions Hallthor.
“Who knows? But right now we have other things to worry about, I can feel a shift rolling across the ocean something comes for us.” Says Curios gravely, staring out over the water.
Immortals Children Of The Gods Page 24