DIVINE CHAMPIONS 4: THE SUN'S CHOICE

NOT YOUR EVERYDAY WEEKEND

"Maa, I have to go." Ishaan had explained the situation to his mother, who wasn't listening. She didn't care what happened to the world but she wasn't letting her son go. Ishaan was determined, however. He had to go and no one could make him stay. 

The chance to convince, however, soon arrived.

Ishaan had gone inside his room to pick up his bag. He was going and no one could stop him. "If I don't go and help, people die. If I go, we all might live. I'm taking the chance." He shouted for everyone to hear. There was no reply. Weird! Normally, he faces his mother's very angry looking face. Nope. No sound. What was going on? Just now, his mother was shouting at him, forbidding him from going anywhere, while she was preparing breakfast. Neither was Udi, who was recording her make up video. Why was everything so silent?

Ishaan ran outside. What he saw sent shock down his body. There was this big ugly guy, nearly eight feet tall, with muscular build, greyish skin, jet black hair. His eyes expressionless, apparently his heart seemed to be elsewhere. In one of his juggernaut like hands, he held Ishaan's mother by her neck. In his other hand, he held Udi by the neck. A frost giant. Not surprising, given Ishaan and his new friends were fighting this exact race.

Beside him was another giant, a little shorter, but very similar physical features, just salt and pepper hair and beard. He let out a strong smell, of who knew what. Behind him were creatures familiar from the night Ishaan had found out his powers. Trolls, that's what Sol had called them.

The shorter giant said, "Stay at home, divine champion. You still haven't been involved, and you will be safe if you take no further part. So will be your family. Anything other than an agreement, and our friend here will snap your family's necks."

"Look, guys." A familiar voice said, forcing everyone to look behind Ishaan, who also turned. Rishi was floating midair, his eyes sparkling, along with his hands. "Guys, its him again."

Under him, Aitri and Rick walked and stood beside Ishaan, "Boy, you forgot what happened the last time, didn't you, smelly gran?" Rick asked.

"You three will die at the hands of the Giant King anyway. We are here from his side to save another Midgardian life."

"By taking two more Midgardian lives?" Rishi said, "Guys, he is really starting to bother me."

"Well, he came last time and left." Aitri said, "This time, he won't return. Guys, I'll take the draugar. You take smelly gran. Ishaan?"

Ishaan didn't need being told. He acted, but carefully. He couldn't launch his flames at the big guy. His family was still in his clutch. So, Ishaan went down at his feet. Meanwhile, Rishi summoned lightning, and attacked. Rick made some figure midair, something that the Vikings call 'rune'. Ishaan had no idea what that all meant, except that it produced fire, just like him. Rick attacked the shorter giant with his magically conjured fire. Fire and lightning was really effective on him. Meanwhile, the bigger giant screamed in pain, as Ishaan's hot flames were bothering him, given these creatures were not much used to heat. It took the big guy a few seconds to drop his family, but from the height they were falling, they were destined to die. Ishaan ran and somehow caught Udi, who was nearer to him. He looked around to find his mother, who had been caught up in air by Rishi. He landed her beside Ishaan, and went back to his fight. "Fire!" The big guy screamed, "Bad. Fire, bad." He lifted his leg, in order to stomp them under. Instinctively, Udi jumped away. So did his mother. And so did Ishaan. "Maa, Udi, behind me." The ladies quickly ran behind him. Ishaan readied for the attack.

Meanwhile, Rick and Rishi were doing pretty well against the slow short giant. Rick's fire was gone, and now, in his hand, he had a huge sword. And he was using it without breaking sweat. Alongside, Aitri was acing her fight. She either just opened chasms on the ground, sending some draugar, the undead, underground, or she rendered their feet stuck to the ground, before absorbing the air inside them. One by one, the draugar was over. Above, the short giant bled water. He might just fall over, which would destroy their house and everything inside.

Ishaan launched his flames in full force, burning the giant. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't reduce the flames. Ishaan kept adding fire to fire. And soon, the huge creature found himself engulfed in the fire. He screamed, more in terror than pain, and as the fire reduced, a bit of purple smoke flew away. Ishaan turned, only to find the shorter giant, about to die. He had Rick's magic sword pierced through his heart. He bled water so much that it was impossible for him to live. Aitri had finished off the draugar. The giant was sitting on the ground, and uttering the last words, his eyes looking at the ground. "No matter what you do, you won't win. There is nothing that the Giant King wants and doesn't get. Soon, the Sun will set. Then, there would be none to stop him and his allies." And then, he turned to smoke.

"Was killing him necessary?" Aitri asked, "You never kill the messenger."

"But we didn't kill him." Rick said, "He fell on my sword, which allowed me to jump from under him, and before he landed on Ishaan's house, we made him sit up."

"So not intentional?" Aitri asked, and the boys denied.

Ishaan turned to his mother. "See what is at stake? I stay here, I attract more of these. I stay here, giants bigger than these will destroy the world, and along with that, you, Udi, and me. Still want me to stay, Maa?"

She kept quiet for a while, while Udi went inside and brought towels for the guys, since they were all wet due to the blood-spat. Then, she said, "You know why I don't want you to go."

Ishaan put his arms around his mother's shoulders, and said, "Maa, I will come back. I promise you I will. You saw what I can do, and you saw what these guys can do. Maa, we have Pankhpur's saviour himself in our team. What can possibly go wrong?"

His mother looked at his teammates. "You three really saved me. So, I'll trust this jewel of mine with you. I hope you'll bring him back fit and fine."

"Ms. Borgohain," Rishi said, "I will try my best. We will try our best."

"You saved us all once." Ishaan's mother said, "You avenged, maybe unknowingly, my husband's death. You have helped us mentally before. More than you know. It is just that..."

"Like Ishaan's father?" Rishi asked, his voice slightly breaking.

"Yes." His mother's voice was definitely breaking, "He had gone, and he didn't come back."

"Ishaan will come back. I saved him once before two weeks ago, and I will do it again. If we all stick together, no one can destroy us."

"That is exactly why I am letting him go with you."

Ishaan hugged his mother tightly, who hugged her tighter. Then, Ishaan walked to Udi, who handed him his bag, and said, "All the best, Dada, just burn 'em." Ishaan put his hands on Udi's head, and said, "Be a good girl till I come back."

"How can I be bad? You are taking all the bad with you." Udi was a Captain America fan, mind you. Ishaan gave her another tight hug, and took the bag. He put it on his back, and looked at his family one more time. Then, he turned towards his friends, and asked, "So, where are we headed?"

"Vanaheim!" Rishi said, while Rick made some gestures in air, and opened a portal. The four jumped through.