MUSPELHEIM: MAXIMILIAN
He woke with a start, he looked up, the fatigue fading from his eyes, he saw Victor and Skylar polishing and stoking a small assortment of meat left over from last night's meal over a small fire. Victor seemed to have more of a glint in his eye than usual: "Morning Maximilian!" Victor jovially sung. Maximilian ran a hand through his hair: "Morning Victor, morning Skylar." Skylar waves absentmindedly as she etched a few spirals into her bow. Victor stared into the distance: "I assume you both know who Gullveig Heid is?"
The question raised a very sudden and immediate reaction, Maximilian sat up erect on the bed of charred vegetation, Skylar's eyes sharpened like a hawk. Skylar was the first to speak: "She is a creature of chaos Victor. Where Surtur is pure evil, she is pure chaos. Where Surtur will win during Ragnarok, Gullveig is the monster that will bask in it. She is the demon that gifted Odin the gift runes and look what chaos it has been sown. At least Loki has no reason to instigate Ragnarok, but Gullveig is not bound to Mimir's prophecy."
Maximilian nodded in agreement: "She's the incarnate if Burning Desire, your father but stronger and more uncontrollable."
Victor nodded, Skylar's eyes narrowed even more as she scanned Victor: "You've spoken with her haven't you?" Asked Skylar. Maximilian saw the answer in Victor's eyes: "Victor, when did that happen?"
Victor avoided Maximilian and Skylar's eyes: "Last night. In the dark of night she whispered to me, and in that darkness she came. She taught me how to harness my strength."
Maximilian shook his head: "Gullveig doesn't give up that easily, eventually she will catch up with you. It will be inevitable, as Ragnarok is."
Victor felt his voice shrink as he doubted his ability to trick Gullveig once more: "Then I will face her and I will defeat her once more."
Skylar interjected: "Whatever do you mean by 'again'?"
Victor proceeded to tell them the tale of his encounter with Gullveig. Their eyes widened as he told them how in his desperation and desire to survive, he was able to conjure an illusion to deceive the Sorceress and impale her with his sword. Maximilian clapped in admiration: "I'm in awe. A week ago you were but a midgardian boy with no idea as to your potential, and here you are having outsmarted a primordial sorceress with your magic. Truly, there has never been a faster learner than you in the Nine Realms."
Victor lowered his head as his cheeks coloured, Skylar put down her carving knife and gently applauded her friend. Maximilian looked into the distance: "We should move now if we want to make it to the Black Fortress by tomorrow.
This leg of the hike was every bit more unpleasant than any of the three have gone on. Even though his tunic was repaired with fabrics from the fabric of the tunic of the deceased giants but Maximilian had already shed it and tied it around his waist, freeing his considerable muscles and skin to breathe instead of being baked in a fabric oven. The trio were traversing a narrow ledge of stone next to a volcano, Maximilian felt the burden of leading the other two, he worried that the cut through the volcano may not have been a good idea. But they couldn't wait to get out of Muspelheim, Maximilian forged on nonetheless, his warrior's heart would not concede so easily to fear and uncertainty. In the silence of the volcano, Maximilian lead then onwards into a cave. Inside the cave was cool, sheltered from the blaze of the lava several hundred feet below. Skylar and Victor sat down next to Maximilian, Skylar tapped her Isa rune and Victor held out a small rag of torn cloth. The Isa rune conjured a weak frost on the rag that promptly melted but cooled the rag. Victor wipes the sweat from Maximilian's face and torso and spoke up: "You know Maximilian, something bothers me. Skylar and I have our own runes, why don't you have yours?" Maximilian winced in the darkness: "In Asgard, Odin controls runes, it is a gift handed to you by Odin or your patron deity. Odin never gave me my rune. The Raedho rune on my blade. It's Odin's magic not mine, it shows me the way. Hence why we aren't lost. All I am is a great fighter, the blood of the Allfather runs in my veins and that will be enough for me."
Skylar whispered in the darkness her voice tinged with fear: "I'd hate to break up the conversation, but I'm certain we are standing on a treasure of gold and silver."
Victor quickly willed a small flame to come to blaze in his hand, it was yellow/amber with his fear. The cavern was now illuminated, and indeed the floor was glittering gold. Maximilian's eyes widened in worry: "We need to leave. Immediately." And when the three of them turned to the door, the cavern mouth was sealed as if it can never been there, and instead there was a small crack of light coming from a small oculus in the roof. Maximilian shot Victor a look of desperation: "Victor, more fire!" Without pausing, Victor's flickering flame burst into an orange pseudo bonfire in both hands. Trembling, Victor looked at Maximilian: "Something's wrong, I feel the same uneasiness I felt around Gullveig and my father, the smell of illusions." From across the room, Skylar cried out: "Boys, I found stairs!" When Victor and Maximilian ran over, Victor's voice seemed to be on the edge of panic: "Those aren't stairs Skylar, they're scales."
And under their feet thousands of repulian scales shifted under the thin veneer of gold coins as two large red and amber eyes opened.
