Chapter 87: One sword to rule them all

(Magnus POV)

"Other girl?" I wondered.

She was- Hearth began to sign then he glanced at Blitzen, or the bag he was holding.

You brought him? Hearth signed while looking pale, he signed H-I-M so I knew I hadn't understood.

Blitz hefted the bag. His face was impossible to read, swaddled in anti-sunlight protection, but his voice was heavy. "Yeah. Capo's orders. You guys got the sword?"

"Nope." I said, "But we ran into my cousin. Annabeth." I told Blitz. Trying not to guess who was in the bag.

"But she won't say anything about Magnus being alive." Percy reassured Blitz.

"But another girl was there?" Blitzen asked.

"We didn't see any other girl." Percy said thoughtfully, "She must have fled upstairs when she heard us entering the building."

"And then she knocked Hearth out, after she jumped out." I said.

She got away Hearth signed with annoyance.

"She was probably looking for the sword." Percy said and sighed, "I told you. The sword is the spill of all our problems."

"So did she found it?" I asked.

Percy shook his head, "Nope."

"How do you know kid?" Blitz asked.

"Because she is right there." Percy said and pointed across Boylston A quarter of a mile down Arlington Street, walking at a fast clip, was a girl in a brown peacoat and a green headscarf.

I recognized that scarf. Hearth's swollen eye had been compliments of Samirah al-Abbas, my ex-Valkyrie.

At the north end of the park, Sam crossed Beacon Street, heading for the footbridge over Storrow Drive. "Where's she going?" I asked.

"The river, obviously," Blitz said. "She checked out your body at the funeral home –"

"What river?" Percy asked.

"Wait, you mean the river I died in? The one I fell down in with Surt?"

Blitzen laughed. "Yes but the sword isn't there. We already checked it out."

Sam climbed the spiral ramp of the footbridge. She glanced back in our direction and we had to hide behind a pile of dirty snow. During the summer tourist season, it would've been easier to follow her without attracting attention. Now, the sidewalks were mostly empty.

"Still," Blitzen said, "I don't like it that she's here. Hopefully the Valkyries send here."

"No." Percy said, "The Valkyries kicked here out."

"What?"

Percy and I told them the story about how Samirah was banned from the Valkyries because Percy and I both died without a sword in our hand.

Hearth looked aghast. His swollen eye had turned the colour of Kermit the Frog. Daughter of Loki? he signed. She's working for her dad.

"I don't think she is." Percy said determined, "She told Magnus to get the sword, which is the opposite of what Loki wants."

"How do you know what Loki wants?" Blitz asked skeptically.

"I may had a dream conversation with him." Percy admitted reluctantly.

I frowned and thought back to the conversation I had with Loki, sitting on Odin's throne. He had told me if I could trust Percy, what I would do once I got the chance to follow my heart's desires.

Could I trust Percy? Honestly I was not sure. There was so much about him I didn't knew but on the other side, he was friends with Annabeth and she seemed to trust him.

I decided to play open card.

"I had a dream conversation with Loki too." I admitted, "But I have no idea what he wants."

"He wants you not to have the sword." Percy told me while his green eyes filled with determination. "You have to wield the sword."

"But I don't know where it is!" I protested, "Nor do I know how to wield a sword."

"You'll learn it." Percy said one a tone that said, you better learn it.

I pointed at Hearth's eye and signed P for Permission? I touched his eyelid. A spark of warmth passed through my fingertip.

The bruising faded.

"It works!" I cried out.

"Wow," Blitzen said, "How?"

My head spun and it felt like I swallowed a microwave and then turned it on while it wa

s inside my head. "I don't know," I stammered and almost dropped to the ground.

Percy caught me and pushed something in my mouth, I almost puked it out again but Percy forced it down my throat. To my surprise it was really tasty. It tasted like Falafel.

I swallowed it and it felt like I had a good night rest and just eaten a good breakfast.

I straightened and noticed I could stand on my own legs, "Wow. What was that?"

"Ambrosia," Percy said, "A bigger question is: You can heal?"

Hearth looked even more shocked. He signed, Magic? How?

"I don't really know," I admitted, "I just had this feeling. It was like on the battlefield. How I could heal faster."

"Maybe it's a son of Frey thing." Percy suggested, "Though it's funny you can heal too."

"Wait you can heal too?"

What was that thing you gave to Magnus Hearth asked.

"Ambrosia, it heals demigods." Percy said, then he pointed at Sam, "Shit, she's getting out of sight."

We lost sight of Sam as we took the spiral ramp to the Esplanade. We walked past the playground. I figured we would spot her somewhere down the path, but she had disappeared.

"Well, that's just great," I said.

Blitz limped into the shadow of the closed concession stand. He looked like he was having trouble carrying his bowling bag.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Legs are just slightly petrified. Nothing to worry about."

"That sounds like something to worry about."

Hearth paced. Wish I had a bow. I could have shot her.

Blitz shook his head, "Stick to magic friend."

Blitz set down the bowling bag, then signed while he spoke. "Hearth is very good with runes. He knows more rune magic than any living mortal."

"Wow," Percy said with awe, "You can do Rune magic?"

"Kid,"Blitz said, "Hearth is the only Elf since centuries who re-discovered magic. He is the only Mortal who can do Rune Magic. He's the first person in centuries to dedicate his life to magic."

I'm blushing, Hearthstone signed, clearly not blushing.

"My point is, you've got real talent," Blitz told him. "But still you want to be an archer!"

Elves were great archers! Hearth protested.

"A thousand years ago!" Blitzen chopped his hand twice between his opposite thumb and forefinger, the sign for annoyed.

"Elfs don't do that kind of things anymore?" Percy asked.

Hearth huffed, Things changed. Alfheim not like that, he signed. Not for centuries. Almost no one is born with alf seidr. No one practises magic. Most elves think Midgard is a myth. Humans live in castles and wear plate mail and tights.

"Oh, that's stupid." Percy said. "Everyone knows humans live in caves."

He noticed my glare, "Just kidding."

Hearth's expression was extremely sad, his pale skin changed to a darker tone and his reflecting eyes were pinned to the floor, Back then, our worlds interacted more. Now, both worlds have changed. Elves spend most of their time staring at screens, watching funny pixie videos when they are supposed to be working

"But you broke the cycle." Percy said cheerful, "You can learn it again."

Hearth slowly nodded, I don't know what it looked like in the old days. But I am trying to learn. I have given up everything to try.

"What do you mean given up everything?"

"Maybe we should focus on the sword." Blitz coughed, "That's what counts now."

No point, Hearth signed. She'll search the river. Let her waste her time. We already looked

"What if we missed the sword" Blitz asked. "What if she's got another way to find it?"

"It's not in the river." Percy said. "I would sense it."

"You can sense things in the water?" I asked.

"Son of Poseidon thingy."

"So can you sense where the sword is?" I asked hopefully, maybe Poseidon was the lord of the swords and Percy could track it however Percy shook his head. "No but I have an arrow."

Arrow Hearth signed. Probably wondering if he had misunderstood Percy.

Percy saw our confused glanced and chuckled, "It's an arrow that can see the future. If it has internet connection."

This gave him more confused glances.

"That's the weirdest thing I heard today," said Samirah alAbbas."

She charged from behind the concession building and kicked me in the chest, propelling me backwards into a tree. My lungs imploded like paper sacks. By the time I could see straight again, Blitzen was slumped against the wall. Hearth's bag of runestones had scattered across the ground, and Sam was swinging her axe at him.

Percy had rolled to the side and blocked Samirah's axe with Frostsilver and forced the axe to the ground.

"Stop it!" I cried out and the both weapons flew out of their owners hand and dropped onto the ground.

"What the Helheim?" Sam said staring at me in disbelieve.

"Yeah, what the Tartarus?" Percy said glowering at Sam and me.

"Stop fighting." I said.

"She began!" Percy pouted and I noticed he had formed a second ice sword in his hand.

"Percy, if I had my full powers, I would rip your soul from your body for all the trouble you've caused me." Sam shot back.

Percy laughed, "You wouldn't be the last guy to make that threat."

"Why don't you tell us what you are doing here." I suggested, "Maybe we can help eachother out."

Blitzen snatched up his sunglasses. "Help her? Why would we help her? She knocked out Hearth at the funeral home! My eyes feel like chunks of quartz!"

"She's mean." Percy agreed.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't been stalking me," Sam said.

"Bah!" Blitzen readjusted his hat. "Nobody was stalking you, Valkyrie! We're looking for the same thing – the sword!"

Still lying on the ground, Hearth signed, Somebody please kill her.

What's he doing?" Sam demanded. "Is he making rude elf gestures at me?"

"It's ASL," I said. "American Sign Language."

"Alf Sign Language," Blitz corrected.

"Why are you looking for the sword?" Percy asked quickly.

"Because it's my only chance to get back to the Valkyries." Sam said, "I never should've chosen you two."

"Thanks." Percy muttered.

"If I can find the sword, maybe the thanes will reinstate me. I can convince them that … that I'm not –"

"The daughter of Loki." Blitz groaned.

Sam lowered her axe. I can't do anything about that. But I'm not working for my father. I'm loyal to Odin." Hearthstone glanced at me sceptically, like, Are you buying this?

"I trust her," I said. Blitz grunted.

"She speaks the truth." Percy said.

"Thanks mister lie detector."

"Look, we all want to find this sword, right? We want to keep it away from Surt."

"Assuming Surt doesn't already have it," Sam said.

"He doesn't." Percy said, "If he had it the nine worlds would be burning already."

One way to be sure about it." Blitz held up the bowling-ball bag.

Sam stepped away.

"What's in there?" Hearth made a claw and tapped it twice on his shoulder – the sign for boss. "Answers," Blitz said, "whether we want them or not. Let's confer with the Capo."

Blitz pushed down the sides of the bag, revealing … a severed head.

The most messed-up thing about that?

After two days in Valhalla, I wasn't even surprised.

The beheaded man's face was shrivelled like a month-old apple. Tufts of rust-coloured hair clung to his scalp. His closed eyes were sunken and dark. His bearded jaw protruded bulldog style, revealing a crooked row of bottom teeth.

"A." Percy said, "Capo, as in head."

=================

Please join my p atreon to read ahead of the public release :

p atreon/Moonhorse