DIVINE CHAMPIONS 3: THE RISE OF THE ELEMENTALIST

SKADI'S PART

"You are with them, my child?" Thiazi said, as he returned back to his normal giantish form.

"No." Skadi said, "I literally don't care about it. If the giants win, I stay just the way I am. If the gods, I stay just the way I am. But that isn't the case with you, is it? Giants win, you live. Gods win, you are killed again."

"Gods won't win, my daughter. I will make sure of that." Thiazi looked back at Aitri, and turned into an elephant. He trumpeted and ran at Aitri. "Well, have at it." Skadi said behind her, "You deserve it for going to that mad giant rather than coming to me, after coming back."

Aitri seemed to find new confidence at Skadi's words. She shifted her focus on the earth, and felt the soil under Thiazi's feet. She willed the ground to shake, and once again, made Thiazi lose his balance. He got up, turned back to a human, and calmly sat down on the ground. "You can play, child. I appreciate you." He said. His attacking intent completely vanished away. 

"What are you playing at?" Aitri asked.

"You'll see." Thiazi said, and just like that, in a sitting position, he turned into a little gadfly, and vanished away. Aitri looked at Rishi, who, in turn, looked at Skadi. Skadi mouthed 'fylgja', and looked away. Before Aitri could understand anything, she felt a sting on her leg. Thiazi was attacking. He shifted himself from the fly, and turned into a gorilla. He jumped three steps away, and pounced on Aitri. Aitri willed the ground to shake again, only to realize that she had stepped into Thiazi's trap. He quickly transformed back into the eagle, and picked her by the collar, before dragging her by her back. Aitri's body pains were increasing immensely. Behind her, she heard Rishi saying, "Forget this. I'm going in."

It was Rishi who saved her once again. Aitri only heard the sky roar thunderously, as she felt herself flailed on the ground. As she regained her energy and got up, Thiazi had disappeared. "Where did he go?" Aitri asked Rishi, who was putting some medicine on the scars behind her neck, and Rick, who kept his hand very near to face and enchanted in Old Norse.

"He went back into the house." Skadi said, still looking around, and sitting calmly, "I can feel Idunn inside."

"And I suppose you won't help?" Aitri asked.

"Nope. I told your boyfriend that I was not going to fight my father?"

"Not even if we die?"

"No. He promised I won't need to. A promise is a promise."

As Aitri felt her strength return, she got up. The three of them entered the house. And there is where, Aitri's ten minute nightmare started. As soon as she went inside, she seemed to lose her balance. The hall had a new smell now. The smell was so enchanting and intoxicating, Aitri felt dizzy. "Guys!" She called out faintly, but she received no answer. She spread her hands to hold something. Her fylgja didn't work. She couldn't see anything. Then, she heard a voice. A one very familiar. "Sister!" The voice called.

"Airish!" Aitri exclaimed in shock. It was her brother's voice. But, how? It was exactly the same sound. But how was that possible?

"Aitri, my little sister. I am here" Airish's voice called. Aitri followed the direction of the voice, and walked on. She seemed to collide with something on the way, but she didn't care. "Sis, why don't you save me? I need saving."

"You need...Ah, hold on." Aitri managed to speak, "I'll be there."

"I need help, Sis. You have joined the man who is responsible for my death. It isn't right."

For ten minutes, Aitri chased her brother's voice dumbfoundedly, and when she finally found the source of it, she collided with something very strong. So strong that she lost balance, and fell. And that is what brought her straight back to reality.

The voice couldn't have been Airish's. He had been dead for nearly two years. He had given his life in the police force. In fact, he had sacrificed his life to save the love of her life. She was super proud of her brother, and she knew him well. Even in death, Airish would never say what he had just said in this hall in Svartalfheim. He never wanted help. He always wanted to do things alone. Even when he had missed a rock while rock climbing in an adventure camp, and was hanging for his life, he had not taken any help, and had climbed up all by himself. And holding Rishi responsible for his death? Never. Rishi always said how proud he felt for himself, before he died. Aitri knew exactly what was going on. The illusionist shape shifter giant was messing with her mind. Aitri got up, spread her arms, felt the air around her, controlled it, and started to rotate her arms vigorously. Quickly, she created a storm. The air's speed got worse and worse with every second. As her feline vision returned, she could see the eagle-formed Thiazi flail from one end of the hall to another, having found himself stuck amidst the storm. The walls were breaking off. The house was slowly shattering to pieces. Aitri could feel parts of her body's energy leaving her. Then, as the last gasp of energy left her, the storm stopped, as Aitri kneeled on the ground, tired. Around her, the house was nearly broken to pieces. Rishi was looking at her with intent, while Rick was holding a magical shield around him and Rishi, protecting themselves from the storm.

As Aitri was giving away to the tiredness, she saw Thiazi turn back into his original Jotun form, and slowly walk towards her. "You have frustrated me now, girl." He said, as he walked with a murderous glare on his face.

"Enough, Father!" Skadi walked in, her voice now really angry, "If you don't stop, you will live, but you will be dead to me."

"My child, why do you care about these imbeciles?"

"I don't. But I care about you. This girl has given you a fight you have never been given. If this keeps on going, she will kill you. Again. And I am not ready to lose you. Again."

Thiazi stood still. His glare vanished, and worry spread over his face. "But Berg wanted them dead." He said.

"Berg will have to kill them himself, then. Though, given the powers at show, Berg won't have it easy at all."

"What if he comes at us for letting them go?"

"What is wrong with you, Father?" Skadi asked, "When have you ever been scared of anyone? And when have you ever acted like someone's pet?"

"It is much more than that. These humans might destroy our land."

"Father, Berg is going against the Norns to get some revenge from a thousand years ago. I am not with anyone in this war, but doesn't that sound stupid?"

"Well, you wanna let three old hags decide who be doing what?"

"Father, there isn't a soul in the nine worlds that has been able to unfollow them. There isn't a soul in the nine worlds that has lived after talking back to them. They literally look at you cross eyed, and you evaporate. You really think Berg is the person? He is like other giants. He is rash, short tempered, and has no special ability that a giant has. He is just strong. No wonder he wants you. You go into this mission, you are as good as dead too. And I am not ready for that to happen again."

Thiazi collapsed on the floor. "Oh no, no." He said, "What have I been doing? I've been acting the opposite of what I was. I was so stupid. But that's it." He stood up, "I am done acting as Berg's puppet. From now on, I shall have no part in this war. I'm going null and void."

"I'll join you, Father." Skadi said, "Right after I get Idunn back to Asgard."

"She is behind that door. Go, get her." Thiazi said.