White Blizzard

Chapter 15

I stared blankly at Vagslath. "But there's nothing here."

"So it seems." Vagslath said, watching Kaztu walk out in the snow. Kaztu paused a few feet away and started to dig into the snow.

A few moments later, something that looked like a puzzle was uncovered. As me and Vagslath approached it, I could see a large circle filled with intricate detailed engravings of a branched out tree. Included with it were nine ovals, each with their own unique designs and names on them.

I stared in awe at it as Vagslath studied it. "It's the tree of Yggdrasil and the nine realms...the key to opening Fenrir's cage."

Kaztu sniffed at the black-grimed gold engravings. "What are we suppose to do with this? I can't read what the things say."

I peered down at the oval circles and read some of the names, " Vanaheim, Asgard, Midgard, Jotunheim...."

"Its the names of the nine realms..." Vagslath said. "We have to put them in the correct location on the tree." Vagslath reached down to move the ovals. There was a sudden flash of fire, making Vagslath fly his hand back hissing in pain.

"Magic" Vagslath growled. "The gods must of put a protection spell to prevent frost giants from going into see Fenrir. And frost wolves have no hands." Vagslath looked over to me, his blood red eyes making me shiver. "You do it woman, I will tell you what to do."

I sat on the ground in front of the puzzle and cautiously reached out to it. I touched the hard cold engravings, letting a breath of relief out that nothing happened.

"The one labeled Migard goes into the middle slot." Vagslath instructed. I pressed down on the realm Midgard and swiped it along down the branches until it locked into place in the middle. There was a click.

Vagslath continued his instructions as I followed them. "Asgard goes above Midgard and Niflheim goes below it. Vanaheim and Alfheim are side to side with Asgard. Scartalfheim and Nidavellir are side to side of Midgard. And finally Jotunheim and Muspelheim next to Niflheim."

There was sudden trembling in the ground as it shook. I grasped the ground trying to still myself as the snow bounced and ice broke around me. The snow started to lift off the ground as a large dome was rising from the ground in front of us.

The shaking stopped, leaving me breathless as I stared at the largely engraved doors of the dome.With a large defining crack the doors opened.

"Come" Vagslath commanded. Kaztu was already at the entrance. I got up shakily from the snow then followed behind Vagslath. I gaped up at the wide doors when we stopped in front of them. Inside were stairs heading down with dim glowing crystal rocks outlining the steps of the staircase.

Kaztu lead the way down the stairs with Vagslath following behind me. After a few minutes, the stairs stopped, the ground leveling, and another pair of doors stood at the end of the cave.

In reverent silence, Vagslath went to the door, and pushed it open.

I gasped.

Death...it smelt of death.

The form of a tattered being laid before me...torn, withered, and blood stained. There was a chain that was wrapped around the being, looking bright and new compared to whom it held captive.

No doubt, the being before me was huge, larger than the average frost wolf, but was this really the once great and powerful Fenrir? And all for the cost of what? Just because the gods feared him? Just because he was Loki's son?

I watched Vagslath and Kaztu slowly enter the dorm while I stood still.

Loki's son... I swallowed. Loki was feared, despised. He was the God of Mischief, the bad guy. I frowned, how do I know this about him?

Vagslath motioned me to come up to Fenrir, and wearily, I obeyed, refusing to break the silence.

As I approached, Fenrir didn't seem to be breathing, not even a flick of the ear or a twitch of the eye. To my horror I saw a sword stabbed in-between Fenrir's mouth. Dried blood was cracked along his mouth and fur.

"Poor thing..." I barely whispered. I reached out my hand and gently pressed Fenrir's shoulder in sorrow.

There was a sudden harsh growl as Fenrir whipped around so fast that I was knocked over with a claw.

Fenrir crouched away from me, Kaztu, and Vagslath, growling dangerously as his burning eyes glared at us.

I didn't notice my arm bleeding as my wide-eyes stared at him just as he stared at me. I could see the hatred, fury, pain, and confusion in his eyes as he looked me over.

"You reek of Loki's magic..." I cringed as Fenrir's hoarse voice grated my ears. "Yet you are not Loki. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT OF ME?" Fenrir snarled harshly.

"Oh great and powerful Fenrir..." Kaztu said calmly as he bowed. "we are here to set you free and claim your revenge!"

"Yes," Vagslath included. "We had brought this Midgardian which can free you from your eternal prison."

Fenrir looked at Kaztu, Vagslath, then to me.

He scoffed. "No one will ever be strong enough to break Gleipnir..."he eyed the chains that held tight around his scrawny body with fury. "If you pull it will only get tighter. Besides!" his attention snapped back to them. "What do you get out of it, freeing me? If you can that is..."

"Kill Loki" Vagslath said loud and clear. "That's all we want. And our rightful places on the throne."

A wicked wolf-like smile appeared on Fenrir's mouth but disappeared. Lowly he growled, "Oh, I'll kill him alright..."

"Now, if you would, allows us to set you free." Kaztu said humbly.

Fenrir looked to me with distrust then sniffed. "Very well, if you can even try." he sat down hunching low.

I cautiously went up to Fenrir as Vagslath pulled something out of his side satchel. Fenrir eyes gleamed wide when he saw the Moonstone in Vagslath hands.

"This will help amplify your power to break Gleipnir." Vagslath said as he handed it to me. I cautiously reached out to grab it, letting out a breath of air when it didn't explode like it did the last time.

Fenrir watched me in interest as I looked at the chains around his body.

"You said it gets tighter each time you pulled on it right?" I asked to Fenrir in thought.

"Yes" Fenrir replied curiously.

"Then..." I said, thinking in my head. "If we did the opposite of pull, it should also do the opposite and loosen it."

Fenrir smiled with a wild gleam in his eye. "How smart! Yes, push on it instead! Why didn't I think of that?"

Fenrir suddenly froze, his shocked eyes starring at nothing. He slowly turned his head towards the open door. Kaztu, Vagslath, and I did the same.

My eyes widened in shock.

There at the door way stood a bloody figure breathing heavily. His hand clutched around a bloodied dagger, and his black clothes torn and ripped, blood running out of gashes.

"You-You're... not doing... anything." Loki growled.