Son of Thor

i meet a relative

Asgard

"Heimdall, ready the Bifrost. We're heading to Jöutnheim." I say as I wield Sally. I'm wearing Aesir armour and I'm flanked by Clarisse, Annabeth, Frank, Leo and Hazel.

"You've chosen a dangerous path, Eric." Heimdall says with a no nonsense face. I swear I'd never seen that man smile. I don't think anyone has. The rainbow bridge shimmers and shudders as it readies itself to transport my friends and I to the realm of the giants.

As we make our way towards it, Hazel speaks up as she turns towards Heimdall. "Hey Heimdall, why's Asgard practically empty?" What she said was true. My father, my grandfather and not a single Asgardian soldier (besides Heimdall) is there.

"Your father has led the Asgardian army to an important mission. One that I am not at liberty to disclose. As for your grandfather, he is in his Odinsleep. Therefore, I am the last line of defense for Asgard until they return."

Hazel nods in response before I look at everyone and gesture my eyes to the Bifrost. We all take a collective deep breath and walk into the rainbow bridge, its shimmering colours dancing across our faces as we step into it.

The landscape around us dissolves, replaced instead by a vast expanse of white. Snow and ice stretch as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by the occasional jagged mountain peak or frozen waterfall.

I drag Sally across the icy ground, looking around as I lead the other five.

"Eyes on. Stay sharp."

Our breaths cloud the air in front of them, the bitter cold of Jötunheim biting at our exposed skin. Hazel shivers, her hand gripping a golden dagger as she steps carefully over the icy ground. "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Please. This isn't the first time I've been here."

Clarisse scoffs, her heavy armor creaking as she looks around the frozen wasteland.

"No offense, Odinson," she says, her voice dry, "but every time you've been here hasn't been exactly a smooth experience."

"That's because you've all heard it from Magnus' point of view." I immediately reply back.

As we continue to tread through the snow, the landscape seems to grow less and less hospitable. The wind picks up, howling through the canyons with a cold and angry gust. Snow falls in thick, heavy flurries, reducing visibility even further.

Suddenly, I pause in my tracks and raise a fist.

Annabeth raises an eyebrow at my actions. "What is it?"

I don't respond as I continue to look around, surveilling the area. The silence is tense as we all stand there, weapons at the ready, waiting for something, anything, to happen. The snow continues to fall, creating a thick, white blanket around us.

Suddenly, a low rumble fills the air, causing the ground beneath our feet to vibrate faintly.

The others get into defensive stances. I beat Sally in my hand, bracing myself for the frost giants to arrive. However, what comes next isn't what I expect. Because what bursts through the snow and ice isn't a giant.

It's a massive, monstrous wolf.

The giant wolf emerges from the white snow, its dark grey fur blending in with the surrounding wilderness. Its eyes burn with a feral intensity, and its fangs drip with saliva.

The wolf's snarl fills the air, its gaze fixed on the six of us.

"Fenrir." I say as I get into a fighting stance.

Clarisse steps forward, her spear at the ready. "You know this mutt?"

"Yep. I met him in Helheim. When I was visiting a relative."

Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "I read that Fenrir was bound on the island of Lyngvi by the gods."

"He was. Until Lady Hel offered to keep it. She's been taming it nicely. Well...kind of."

"Ah yes, I remember."

We all turn to a voice standing a few couple yards behind us. It belongs to the one and only Loki, God of Mischief. stands there, leaning against a tall rock, his raven-feathered jacket rustled slightly by the wind. He has a sly grin on his face, his green eyes fixated on particularly me with a mix of familiarity and mockery.

"What you didn't know was that I took Fenrir from her. And made him better." He continues.

"Uncle Loki." I say. I had a habit of calling him Uncle. Maybe he just looked like an uncle to me. "I see you got rid of the Red Sox jacket." What I also see is that he's holding the three apples of Idun.

Loki chuckles as his sly smile grows wider. "I thought it was time for a change of style." His eyes divert to Sally and then to my friends. "Quite the welcoming party." 

Regarding the God of Mischief with a cautious look, Annabeth pipes up. "Hand over the apples, Loki."

"That's what she said." I comment. Even in the most dire of situations, I cannot contain myself to make jokes. The others turn to look at me, faces filled with surprise and annoyance. Even Loki gives me a 'wtf' look before he regains his composure.

"Right, um...tell me, Eric, do you not wonder why all of Asgard's defences aren't there?"

I glance left and right before in thought back at him,"...not really, no."

Loki pinches the bridge of his nose in slight annoyance before continuing to speak. "The lack of security in Asgard isn't what you think."

The others' faces turn serious again, the gears turning in their heads. Hazel speaks up, her voice laced with caution. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Loki steps forward. "It means that with only Heimdall in the way...Ragnarok will ensue. Surtur will rise and Asgard will fall. Womp womp, demigods."

He looks at Fenrir who has been ready to pounce all this time. "Fenrir. I found some new treats."

And with that, Loki disappears via teleportation.

"Oh shit." Leo says as we all turn around to look at Fenrir, whose eyes are filled with bloodlust. The giant wolf gives another menacing snarl, foam and saliva coming down from its giant mouth, its teeth glowing white.

The group braces themselves, their weapons raised, preparing for the monstrous beast to charge.

As the dog charges towards us, I step forward and reach a hand out. "Fenrir, good puppy...good puppy...Remember that time where I gave you a freight train as a tread? Remember? Fen...OH SCREW THIS, CERBERUS WAS A MUCH BETTER PET!" I scream out, finally having enough. 

And that's why I sprint upto Fenrir, whacking his face with the sledgehammer.