Nifflheim

Symphony of Scales Pt. 3

Torn cloth from my cloak wraps the wound on my arm. A quick solution to the blood that was pouring from my arm before I passed out. Before I got to see my wife.

"Hey glad to see you awake," Iver says as he walks into the room with Bjorn and Bo.

"Should have just let his weak ass die." Bjorn scoffs.

I ignore his instigating, "How long was I out?"

"A couple of hours at the most. Seems like your wounds finally caught up to you. I think we all needed this rest though so do not worry," Iver answers trying to comfort me.

"Did you find anything out there?" Haralda says as she steps closer to Iver.

"No nothing. It was too dangerous to continue without risking the hallways removing our path back here. Once everyone catches their breath we can begin our search for the key again."

The key had slipped my mind until his words refreshed it. Too focused on just surviving to even consider leaving Niffheim in one piece. I guess that is what makes Iver such a natural leader. Calm and collected. Being in this castle doesn't even seem to faze him. Him leading the way is comforting.

Bjorn sits down with a thud and points his hammer at me, "You know I could've taken on ten times the amount of snakes that did you in back there. Even with one of my hands tied behind my back."

"My blurry head still remembers you standing and watching. Do you need everyone to hate you or is it just a special skill?" I respond in retaliation.

Haralda slams her sword into the ground and shoots me a nasty glare. "Enough! You both can compare sizes once we are out of this hell hole."

Why is she glaring at me? I guess I do feel a little bad stooping to his level.

"No harm done," Frode interrupts the silence. "Are you sure you have no idea where the key could be"

"Yeah what about in like a vault or a secret shrine or something," Langley chimes in.

"Even if that were true, this castle is massive. Paired with the problem of the hallways, it might be best if we get out and regroup." Iver answers.

"It might be just as difficult to find our way back. We should stand our ground and fight our way through!" Bjorn says providing his input.

My mind drifts away from the conversation and focuses back on Edlyn. My wife. I wish I was back in that house, listening to her sing. Her gentle voice carrying me to far off places. Far away from here, from Bjorn, and the damn snakes. This castle! The exhaustion that screams in my muscles. Curse this place for making me forget her.

Langley's voice snatches me out of my thoughts, "what do you think Asger?"

"Well if we don't get those keys then we are as good as dead anyway. So I agree with Bjorn. Let's fight." I say with confidence.

"Alright, I guess that decides it," Iver says consolidating our thoughts. "My best guess is it's deep in the castle. Probably the bottom floor."

"Ah hell. Where all those snakes are?" Frode whines.

"Hazzah! Let's go! I've been itching for another good fight!" Bjorn shouts, raising his weapon above his head.

"Calm down before you get us all killed. We need a strategy going into this. But you are right. It might be a little fun being outnumbered like this." Haralda says, a hint of excitement in her voice.

The spark of hope we kindled at the fire still burns in my companions. Their once worn out faces now have a slight smile and radiate confidence. This is how we were going to get through this. This is how we survive.

The ground begins to shake violently with an ear-piercing screech following. We all grab onto the cracking walls, hoping they have just enough left in them to stop the ceiling from caving in on us.

"What is this?" Langley yells over the shaking of the castle.

"This has to be the Nidhogg. It must be coming back to its nest!" Iver shouts back at him.  

I look out into the hallway afraid that the Nidhogg will burst through at any moment, "How far are we from the crevice?"

"We only moved a few cells down from where you went unconscious. We thought it would be dangerous to move you without knowing where the hallways would take us," Frode answers.

A piece of the ceiling dislodges and falls toward Haralda who quickly bats it away with her sword, "We need to move. Now!"

"I'm ready for round two you overgrown garden snake!" Bjorn triumphantly cheers as he runs to the door. 

He stands in the doorway with his hammer drawn with not even an ounce of fear leaving his body. He looks back at us and smiles, the desire of battle burning in his eyes. The rest of the party readies their weapons and starts to cross the room to meet Bjorn and join in his conquest. Bjorn just might be the spark we need right now.      

Bjorn starts to holler a battle cry as he raises his hammer above his head but he is cut off by the Nidhogg crashing into the hallway and wrapping its jaws around his body. He was gone in an instant. Our spark extinguished. Swallowed by the Nidhogg weapon and all. Its blue eyes staring at us still hungry.