Page 37

Love is Sacrifice

“ F

aeir… at last, you’re free!” Garmr said in sight of the masterful figure appearing through the swirling green vortex. It was as if the figure was stepping though from another dimension. And he was not anything like I imagined.

The tall figure had a handsome face that had literal flaming hair.

Fiery strands moved around him like he was under water, and his eyes also burned with fire.

His lips were black and cracked, with branches of what looked like poison veining out under his skin.

As if he had been made to swallow venom.

His naked torso was slender, his muscles covered with tears in his flesh where that same fire was seen moving beneath it.

As if his insides were made from lava. His lower half was covered with lengths of folded black and green material edged in gold.

Pieces of it torn and frayed behind him as it dragged on the floor.

His pants were worn underneath the skirt and looked to be made from patches of black leather all sewn together.

As for his feet, these were bare and covered in black liquid that stained the skin.

His face, although handsome, was set in a permanent scowl, thanks to his deep-set eyes and low slash of thin brows.

His features were angular, with a slim nose, cut jawline and pointed chin, one he dipped as he regarded his son kneeling on the floor before him.

Then he offered Garmr the back of his hand to kiss before telling him,

“Rise, my Nier, for your kin awaits.” His voice rang out, deep and resounding, making me shiver at the masterful tone.

Turning his head, he looked into the darkness past the portal. Then with a wave of his hand rising up, it made those two moons of light suddenly begin to move. A snarling sound filled the cavernous space as the shadows of beyond started to rise with his hand.

“Fenrir, my son, I am here to free you of your chains at last!” Loki said, lifting his hands up even higher, as Garmr got to his feet before coming to his father’s side.

Both of them watched the darkness move as the giant wolf came closer to the edge.

That was until Loki pushed his power forward, creating a large burst of energy to light up the rest of the cave, showing us the beast who practically filled the other side of the chasm.

Both of them were left looking up as Fenrir started to rise to his feet, the chains pulling tight around him, still keeping him restrained. As for Jared and me, we had reached the long path leading to where they stood.

“Any ideas on how you want to do this?” Jared asked me, and I shrugged my shoulders before I said,

“I was just going to start by doing this and pissing him off.” Then I threw my hands forward and started to draw back the soul I had been forced to give life to.

Soon making the beast howl so loud that it cracked the cave walls.

Small rocks and dust rained down from above, making me hope that the cave survived this and didn’t just bury us all under a mountain of rock.

Of course, what I knew would happen, happened, because my burst of power alerted them both to our presence. Loki snarled angrily at me, while Garmr shouted for me to stop.

“Anástasi, no!”

“Wow, he really doesn’t get the hint does he…? I best go give him a stronger one,” Jared said, now transforming himself… and Gods what a sight.

His body morphed into something so much larger, and his arms became engulfed in flames.

His hands transformed into that of his beast, with thick claws replacing the short nails.

The T-shirt he wore burnt away, leaving his torso bare, with just his trousers remaining.

A pair he had told me were made from a fire-resistant material made from the skin of a fire salamander.

And good job too, or he would have been fighting in the nude because his body ignited before cooling into the same scaled fur that covered his HellBeast.

But this wasn’t the only change… a pair of huge horns grew from his head, and black jagged bone tore through the flesh at his shoulders. Oh, and he was also at least two feet higher than before. It was the first time I had seen him like this, and he caught me with my mouth hanging open in shock.

And his response… he actually fucking winked at me! This new beast of a man, with his burning eyes of hot coals, flirted with me! I had to shake myself as he started running toward Garmr, because the fool had started to run toward me.

However, Loki wasn’t about to let me get away with what I was doing for long.

Although, with each draw of Fenrir’s soul I took back, the stronger I felt.

Which meant that when Loki got close enough to attack, I was able to fend it off by creating a barrier between us.

One that made him lash out against the green forcefield I created.

With my other hand, I continued to draw the soul back from Fenrir, but doing so while my power was split in two wasn’t easy.

“You really think you can beat me?” Loki said, staring back at me through the veil of power, making his flaming hair now green as well as his eyes.

“Well, I do like to win,” I told him, trying to keep the strain out of my voice.

He tipped his head at me before grinning. Which I had to admit, was an unnerving sight.

“I can see why my son likes you, perhaps I will keep you and play with you myself when this is done,” he offered.

“Thanks, but you’re not really my type. It’s your hair, too girly.”

His grin grew and before I knew it, he suddenly disappeared in a ball of flames.

“Huh?” I asked myself, still trying to concentrate on the task at hand, one that had been so difficult it had caused Anástasi to pass out.

Jared had reached Garmr and was fighting him, his anger and fury lashing out at him over and over again, to the point that all Garmr could do was try to defend himself.

As for me, I felt something wrap around my leg and I screamed, dropping my shield and my ability to continue to draw in Fenrir’s soul.

I looked down and saw the end of an orange snake wrap around me.

I then looked up and saw Loki was now there right behind me, his lower half transformed into the body of a snake!

What the actual fuck?!

“AH!” I screamed, trying to kick it off, but crying out when it got painfully tight. It started to wrap more around my body, moving upward and cocooning me in his hold. The higher up my body it coiled; his half snake body brought the top of him closer to me.

“Still think you can win against me, little queen?” he mocked, his finger skimming down the side of my face. And it was at this that I found my rage.

My power burned inside me, seeping outward and rushing to my hands. My eyes must have shown the first sign of it, because his own widened in wonder. The heat in them grew brighter, until concern made them narrow down at me. My veins were also lighting up, at the ready for an attack.

“That’s Summoner Queen to you, God of nothing!”

Then I let it all explode, screaming out as I did, and the effect was as if he’d had his fist wrapped around a grenade.

Meaning he had no choice but to release me as he, once more, disappeared into a ball of fire.

As for my summoning powers, they shielded me from the heat of his escape.

But I wasted no time turning and running closer to the beast I was trying to take life from.

Jared and Garmr’s fight continued, with neither of them turning into their full beast forms. As I was about to start drawing in life from Fenrir again, I heard Loki from a distance.

“Get ready to lose, Queen!” he threatened, and just as I turned my head, I saw what was coming. A flaming arrow shot from the weapon now emerged in his hands.

In that moment, time seemed to move differently.

Seconds slowly ticked by, as if prompting me to try and reach out and grab it, in hopes of stopping it completely.

But even as I tried to bring my hands up to create a barrier, I knew it wouldn’t be quick enough.

The arrow was heading straight for my heart, and I knew it would not miss.

I turned my face away from my impeding death, choosing in my last moments to look at Jared one last time.

His face morphed into one of horror when he saw what was headed my way, his mouth moving as he screamed for me, shouting my name. But there was also another voice, one shouting a different name. He was also running toward me.

By the time the arrow made it to its final destination, I didn’t feel the pain of it like I should have. This was because at the very last second, a body had thrown itself in front of me, taking the hit in my place.

A single second later, time resumed its normal speed, and I looked down utterly shocked to see that Garmr had saved me! His body was on the floor, with the arrow extinguished, but it had left a charred black mark in Garmr’s chest where it was embedded.

“Anástasi, my queen… I am… sorry… for making you… love me,” he stammered, reaching out to my hand and because of his sacrifice given, I took it.

The gift I received for giving a dying man some peace, was one that had the power to save us all.

Yet with one look at his eyes, I knew there was only one life he wanted to save, and it was mine.

Which meant he was willing to turn his back on his father in order to save the world from him burning it down with me in it.

I knew this when he looked to the portal gate, and after pulling me closer, he whispered,

“Destroy it and sever the link… it is… the only way to… survive.”

I watched as the life left him, staggering back the second Loki realized what he had done as he roared out in anguish.

I felt myself being pulled back further away as Loki suddenly transported in front of his now dead son, the one he had killed.