Hotel Valhalla ~ Son of a Jotun King

An Awkward Talk With My Father

"WELCOME, MY SON!" a voice boomed. The white mist receded to reveal an enormous throne room. "Over here! How can you miss me?"

Me and Alex turned around to see a truly enormous giant sitting on a truly enormous throne. The Jotun had a young, angular face with intelligent eyes and coal-black hair. He wore iron-shod boots, leather britches, a tunic of eagle feathers and a gold bracer on one forearm encrusted with bloodstones.

"Oh no," Alex groaned. Though she sounded more disappointed than worried, like she just ran into someone she really didn't want to talk to.

"Come now," the Jotun complained. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Depends," I answered. "Who are you?"

"Utgard-Loki," Alex growled. "Set his Thanes on us in an attempt to earn their approval."

Utgard-Loki waved his hand, "Bah! That's just standard Jotnar politics. I've brought you here so I can have a quality conversation with my son. Alex was more of an accident."

"Wait!" I said, making a Time-Out sign. "Your son? Who's...oh!"

"See?" Utgard-Loki said eagerly. "Now! Down to business. Alex was right when she said you have to stay calm to shapeshift. Try focusing on something, like staring at your wing or par and remembering how much you liked having fingers to wiggle around."

"Ookay," I said slowly.

"You should also give magic and illusions a try. Illusions are just using your imagination and forcing your will upon it. Magic might be a little tricky for you, though."

"Have anything to help?" I asked. "A spellbook and cauldron? Wand and broomstick? Sceptre and robes?"

Utgard-Loki shook his head sadly but otherwise ignored my sarcasm. Instead, he pulled out something that looked like a Batman utility belt. "Inside are a number of runes, a little translation for them, and a guide to working magic correctly."

"So more of a Hogwarts-Kit?" I said, taking the belt and clipping it around my torso like a sash.

"There's also a disk on the back," Utgard-Loki explained. "Press a weapon against it, and it will magically attach. Like a magnet."

"Any other pointers?" I asked.

My father thought for a moment before clicking his fingers in an A-ha! movement. "Two things: first of all, I suggest practising magic inside Hotel Valhalla. That way, you'll be fine if you accidently kill yourself, but you'll need to find a focus point for it. Second..."

My father rubbed his hands together and clapped. But nothing happened. "There!" he beamed. "Work on your flirting."

The white mist came back and surrounded me and Alex before I could ask what he meant. Then we were back in Battle Practise in front of our friends.

"Where have you been?" TJ asked.

"And why are you two holding hands?" Halfborn added.