DIVINE CHAMPIONS 3: THE RISE OF THE ELEMENTALIST

BROKE LITTLE MAN

As soon as Aitri and Rick landed on the island, the big sea giant gods returned back under the sea. Rick started to move, a little uphill, where the bungalow was. But Aitri had got a bleeding cut on her leg from fighting the fossegrim. She only managed to get uphill slowly, much behind Rick, who took notice of her slow pace and asked, "You alright?"

"My leg has a bad cut." Aitri told him. Rick came back running. He took a bottle of antiseptic out, rubbed it on Aitri's cut, making her wince, then, put some bandage on it, and asked her to rest for a minute. He looked slightly distracted, looking around, checking his phone. She knew what was going through his mind. "Rick?" Aitri asked, "Did you call Maggie?"

"No. What for?"

"You know, I kinda thought, she should know, given she made sense of Odin's riddle?"

"Right."

"Why are you looking into your phone constantly?" Aitri asked, in a tone of mischief.

"I'm not." Rick replied, avoiding Aitri's eye. So, Aitri went on and deepened her look, trying to pierce Rick's mind. Rick just made a funny face, and said, "Get up, Professor X. We need to solve this mystery and get to Asgard."

"Yep. Don't tell me. Why would you? I'm not Rishi, am I?"

Rick seemed to lose a bit of his patient, who just turned and went ahead, making Aitri understand that she had gone too far. She would never get Rick to open up the way Rishi gets him to. That made her realize one thing. "I'm sorry, Rick. I shouldn't have said that."

"Why did you?" Rick slowed down to let her catch up to him.

"I figured it right now. Ever since our breakup, I am constantly trying to become his competitor. That isn't right."

"Weird how he still is in love with you. I wish I knew what he was doing."

Aitri knew where it was coming from. Even she missed Rishi right now. She really wanted someone who she could tell having fought a monster for the first time. She had really started to wonder if she had done things in the heat of the moment. But she also knew that the way Rishi had treated her was wrong, not trusting her with her abilities, not letting her prove her worth. And yet, she worried. She was constantly thinking of what he was doing. She was in the battle, fighting not just to save the world, but also to make a statement. For herself, for if a girl is chosen after her. However, one part of her mind said: she was facing it all, in action. Rishi didn't have the luxury. He had no idea what the two people who he loved so much were actually doing, if they were dead or alive, if they were okay. All he could do was sit and wait, for days, perhaps. The other side of her mind said: And who's fault was that? He had to go full 'leader' on her. If he really cared he would have continued not listening to her, and joined her in the quest. But both sides of her mind agreed on one thing: Aitri missed Rishi.

She had to shake it off her mind to keep moving, now that they were very close to the bungalow. "Keep your guard up. Whosoever is in there isn't going to go down without a fight."

"Yes." Aitri kept her hands spread.

The two of them pushed a half open door gently, and entered, tiptoeing. The house was overall very disorganized, with chairs and tables here and there, paintings of the walls going off, wall crust falling on the floor, and no lights coming through. They pushed another door gently, and entered. And as soon as Rick entered, something swung something at Rick, who moved away by reflex. Training helped. When the same thing swung the same thing at Aitri, she couldn't move as quickly. Rick, however, pulled her away. Then, they saw the something that was being swung at them. A bat. A proper cricket bat. And then, they saw the something that was swinging the bat at them. He was a little man, with the most disorganized beard and hair. He was quite dark skinned, and was weirdly dressed in a clown costume, just without the facial makeup. "By Freya's sake, I have nothing else to give to anyone. I have no wealth anymore. Go away!"

"Yo, dude!" Rick said, "We don't need no wealth. We just need help. Who are you?"

"No, no. First you tell me, who are you?"

"We are here to use the key to access the Bifrost. We need to get to Asgard."

"YOU ARE LYING!" He bellowed, "I have been living in this bungalow for fifty years. And no one steps into Andvari's doors unless they want his wealth."

"Andvari? Who is that?" Aitri asked.

"I am, you foolish girl. I have lost every bit of my fortune to a giant. And then, some people decide to come here and mock me for my distress. I can't control my anger on them. They face my wrath."

"What? Are you crazy?" Rick asked.

"Well, if you have wealth..."

"I do."

"I mean, lots of gold, silver, diamonds, gems."

"I have that." Rick said.

"What if someone takes it away?"

"I have so much, even if anyone takes away what I keep with me, I can buy twenty houses across the world."

"Woah!" Andvari looked surprised, "How wealthy are you?"

"Very wealthy." Rick said, "I got a lot of money, a lot of assets, and a lot of friends."

Andvari's face changed. From a look of surprised appreciation, it turned to a look of disgust. "You are trying to mock me for my loneliness?" He picked up the bat and attacked Rick, who swept his fingers, and Andvari fell on the other side of the room, breaking another piece of furniture. "I am not here to play 'who is richer' with you, Andvari. Just tell us where the Bifrost key is." Rick seemed angry, his eyes taking a tint of orange. The magic aura was oozing out of him.

"I will not tell you." Andvari stood up, on his heels, though that didn't give him a great advantage. Rick was not tall himself, he was even shorter than Aitri. But even he looked tall in front of Andvari, who clearly felt insecured about his height, trying to look down upon Rick, which was impossible. "Unless," His face now taking a mischievous turn.

"Oh no." Aitri blurted out. She knew he would ask something in return.

"I need my wealth back. My treasure."

"Where can we find it?" Rick asked, calming himself down. 

"It is with the giant, Hymir. Guy was salty when Thor left him in the waters, after he let the Midgard Serpent go, that he went around all angry and pissed off. And I happened to make fun of him, when I went to York. He held a grudge, stole all my treasure."

"Gotta find him in England? We have a time limit, man. I can give you my gems..." Rick was saying, when Andvari stomped his feet on the ground, "No! I want that particular treasure of mine. Look, it has a ring in it, which is very precious to me. I want it all back."

"What is so special..."

"IT IS SPECIAL, DO YOU UNDERSTAND? Now, on your toes, or no Asgard."

Andvari ran at them so fiercely that both Rick and Aitri came out of the house. "Well, what now?" Aitri asked.

"Well, I could use Meili's stone and take us both to England. But that is gonna take hours, just to get there."

"Or maybe..." Aitri had a plan. She walked up to the sea, and prayed, "O Lord Aegir, sorry to bother you so soon, but we need your help again."

And so, within a second, an octopus rose from under the sea.