DIVINE CHAMPIONS 3: THE RISE OF THE ELEMENTALIST

RISHI'S FYLGJA

Rishi's landing on the snow ran a chill down his spine. It was so cold here, that his clothing wasn't working. So, since he had prepared himself for everything, Rishi opened his backpack and took out the spare jacket, and put it on. A little relieved, he couldn't deny.

Rishi started walking, only to find himself facing a terrible thing. In front of him was a half built ship. However, the material seemed weird. Rishi needed a better look. But he couldn't find a tree near the ship, but a little far away. There was a Douglas fir in a little distance. Rishi flew, and landed on one of its little branches, strong enough to hold his eighty five kilos. 

From there, Rishi could see a few things. The ship was made of nails. Rishi wasn't surprised. He knew what it all was. The men that were working on it were not men. They were very familiar creatures, the ones that Rishi had fought only a day ago, the fateful day in which Aitri had broken up with him. If not for these idiots who chose to attack that day, Rishi would have been still with her, perhaps getting the quest done together. Anyway, Rishi focused on the job at hand. In front of him was the Naglfar, the ship of the dead, made of dead people's nails, different kinds of nails: some polished, some unpolished, some small, some elongated, some with dirt, some without dirt. Working on it were the draugar, perhaps preparing an impending battle. Rishi looked a little more forward. There it was, just behind the Naglfar, the mountain he had seen in Njord's wind screen. Rishi had only one way to get there. By land, he would be caught, and he, despite all his bravado, was no match for a hundred draugar. So, air was only way. Rishi prayed to Thor, and leaped. He took flight in mid-air, and swiftly landed on the mountain's sub-alpine level.

It isn't ever easy to climb a mountain. This was not as steep as the ones that Rishi had seen on TV or from far away in hill stations. But it was covered with snow, and sneakers weren't doing too well. Given he was wearing two jackets, and his head was covered by the jacket's hood, and his neck covered by the jacket's zip, he was fine with the rest of the body. But his legs were frozen. He had inners on, and yet, his legs were frozen. Rishi tried to climb as fast as he could, but his legs had started to feel numb. He somehow reached higher, when he started to see footprints. At first, he thought, this might be Skadi's. But these were no humanoid footprints. These were footprints of some dogs. Then, it hit Rishi. Skadi had wolves for pets.

Just as he climbed up to the level from where the Naglfar was nearly invisible, Rishi heard snarls. And before he could turn, something came at him, and pinned him down. Rishi got up quickly and looked at his attacker. An adult arctic wolf, with white fur and yellow eyes, jaws out. Rishi was in a fix. This was surely Skadi's pet. And if he wanted Skadi in his side, he couldn't kill it. And Thor's powers inside him were such, that he would surely kill it. However, if he could use his strength, he could fight it off. A few years ago, Rishi wouldn't even have thought of killing anything. But in recent times, his ideology has changed drastically, all thanks to Thor. And he hated himself for that. Just as he was thinking of this, he felt a sharp tug on his jacket on his back. Next thing he knew, he was flailed a little far off on the ground, nearly the edge of the mountain.

Rishi somehow managed to pick himself up. He looked straight. Now, there were two arctic wolves. One of them bared its fangs and attacked. Rishi managed to hold it somehow with his hands, and push it away. Then, he jumped away from the edge. However, just as he faced the wolf that had just attacked him, the other wolf sunk its fangs on his clothes from behind, and dragged him through the ice. Seeing it, the other wolf joined in. Now they were both dragging him. Rishi tried with all his might, but he couldn't shake them off. There wasn't anything to hold on to. And the wolves were fast, very fast. And by the time they let him go, he was on what could be called an ice rink, surrounding by thick, snow covered forest of pine trees. And the worst part? He was surrounded by five adult arctic wolves, all ferocious, baring fangs.

Rishi was confused about two things. First, how to save himself against these hungry wolves without killing them. And second, what was the strange feeling in his throat? Rishi was feeling a strange feeling in his throat, as if, he felt a tickle. But no. The feeling was weirdly explainable. It was a mixture of a tickle and an itch in his throat. He had never felt like this before, and it only increased by the minute. The thing was, he had faced a wolf last time near the forests in Nepal, when he and Rick had gone on to meet Meili, and there was no tinge like this. The wolves snarled around him. Each of them took a step back. Rishi put his left foot back, bent down, and got ready. Then, all the wolves attacked him together. Rishi took flight, and avoided the attack. He landed on the ground, and electrocuted the icy ground, pushing the wolves aside. The tinge on his neck increased even further.

However, the wolves were least bothered. They quickly got up, and howled loudly. That is never a good sign. Worse, Rishi's tinge increased to a huge deal. He felt like he could howl with them right now. As soon as they stopped, four more wolves joined. Now, Rishi was facing nine big grown arctic wolves, each of their yellow eyes burning like fire. And that is the moment when Rishi finally realized his fylgja. 

It should have been very simple to him. He had always preferred people over loneliness. He had always revolved around at least someone. He was scared of being alone. If not for proper humanly forcing of his parents, he would have never gotten a room for himself. He hated sleeping alone in his room. When he had allowed Aitri to go on a quest, he had also sent Rick with her, so that she was safe. He had been training Rick with different monsters and their strengths and weakness over the year. Rishi was a team man. He had always been so. His attraction towards team sports was another example.

Just as the wolves bared their fangs, Rishi bent down like the last time, looked towards the sky, and let his tinge do the work. He howled, and what came out of his mouth was not a human howl mimicking a wolf, but rather a proper wolf howl. Miraculous, right? Rishi didn't stop, not even for moment. He howled for nearly three minutes straight (yes, he counted). When he finally stopped, the wolves were all down, sitting on the ground, the ferocity gone. Then, an interesting thing happened.

Out of the forest came out a figure. Nearly ten feet tall, her bow out, arrow locked to its string, pointed towards Rishi, came out a woman. White blonde hair covered by a fancy helmet consisting of stag antlers, striking grey eyes, fair skin, muscular body (Jennifer Garner types), a furry jacket that could only warm frost giants, who don't exactly feel cold, along with proper hunting dress: tank top and camping shorts. She wore a pair of long hunting boots. Her quiver full of arrows could be seen behind her back. Her face was fierce, not normal fierce, but as fierce as that of the nine wolves combined. She was attractively beautiful alright, and her aura reflected power, a giantess who was almost a proper goddess. She was clenching her teeth, as she uttered her first words, "You have breached my solitude, mortal. Give me one reason I should keep you alive."