The Twelve Stars

Chapter 16

The flames extinguished and Hel was nowhere in sight. All that remained were ashes floating aimlessly above her throne. I dropped the Stone back into my satchel and ran to Robyn. The fiery aura had spent more energy than Robyn had to give. So when it released her, she collapsed. Her sword clattered to the floor. I was by her side in a heartbeat. I was about to stroke her hair back from her face when I remembered I no longer possessed the Light of Odin. For a while, her eyes remained closed and I could only wait and be there for her.

"Did Robyn just kill the Queen of Hel?" Finn asked.

"But only Surt's fire can kill her," Thad explained. "Unless..."

Robyn's eyes opened. To my relief, they were back to their natural green. She looked up at me, confused.

"Callyk?" she asked. I smiled down at her. She tried to sit up.

"It's okay," I said. "You're okay."

"Where are we?" she asked begrudgingly.

"You don't remember anything?" Thad queried.

Robyn repositioned herself to face Finn and Thad who still stood a fair distance behind me. She managed to sit up, despite still being drained from the aftermath of incinerating Hel. "You're supposed to be in the Tree," she told Thad, recognising him.

"Surprise?" Thad said.

"Does one normally burst into flames upon being resurrected?" Finn asked.

Robyn appeared more confused. "Resurrected...?" she said. "What do you mean? We were fighting the Guard. Then you and Finn returned on two giant swans-"

"Solomon killed you, Robyn," I answered. Her eyes dilated.

"I died?"

"It wasn't a pretty sight," Thad commented. I passed a look of annoyance.

"It was heroic," I told her. "We bargained with Hel before your trial. I couldn't leave you," I explained. A look of understanding came upon her.

"I would have done the same," she said. She managed a wan smile. Understanding turned to perturb. "What was the bargain?" she asked. I showed her my hand and she put it together. "I would be mad at you," she said. "But I don't have the energy to express it right now."

"Do you have energy to open a portal back to Yggdrasil?" Finn asked. She struggled up onto her feet.

"Maybe," she responded weakly. "But why Yggdrasil? Didn't we complete our task?"

"Not necessarily," I said. "To switch back, we had to have the Allcron Stone. Now that the deed is done, we can return it where no one will ever be able to get their hands on it again."

She pondered on our decision, coming to a silent agreement. Then she held out her hand to me. Her red hair let loose around her. Her new attire radiated an air of elegance and power. "Take out the Stone," she said. "Let's see what I can do."

I fumbled for the Allcron Stone in my satchel and brought it out once I felt my fingertips touch its cold surface. While I took out the Stone, she searched in her sack of runes.

"Raidho," she announced. "The Rune of safe travel. You may want to take a few steps back," she warned me. I placed the Allcron Stone on the floor in front of her and heeded her warning by taking a couple of steps back until I stood next to Finn and Thad. "I can't guarantee this will work. But I will do my best."

She closed her eyes and raised her right hand that held the Rune. With it, she started drawing a symbol in midair. In blue light, the symbol of Raidho, the letter p intercepted by a stroke, formed, following the line of her hand. I hadn't seen her do it before, so it was quite an experience to behold.