Nifflheim

Symphony of Scales Pt. 4

"We can't leave Bo!" Shouts Langley as Haralda drags him away from the battle.

"Move boy there is nothing we can do for him now," yells Frode wrapping his arm around Langley to help drag him away.

The beast's gaze pierces my body as it's massive body covers every means of escape. The Nidhogg teeth click as if it was laughing at the state of its prey. The beasts strikes. I tumble backwards and it's head crashes just before me. More debris flies cutting and bruising my skin as it passes. I grab on the scales on its face and squeeze with all the strength my fingers can muster.

The beast lifts it ahead and my feet leave the ground. When it stops I can barely see the floor. It's one working eye focuses on me and the Nidhogg violently shakes to buck me off. My grip loosens and I launch over the beasts head and tumble down its back. It's scales are rough as my body scrapes against it on my decent and I crash onto the floor slightly behind its main body. I shuffle to my feet, ignoring all the pain my body wishes I would acknowledge and run after the group.

Over here!" A voice shouts out to my right. The tension and anxiety built up in my body releases slightly when I see Iver's face. Iver points into the hallway he is in front of, "I found a way out!"

The beast howls behind me and I pick up the pace towards Iver, to an exit. My feet glide underneath me. I can make it. Iver sends a flurry of arrows towards the Nidhogg, interrupting its chase. The beast quickly dodges any arrows that fly towards its head, probably remembering the sting they once delivered. The rest of the arrows ricochet off its scales and then clatter on the ground like a metallic melody. I rush into the hallway just before the Nidhogg smashes against it. The entrance crumbles with the Nidhogg left screeching on the other side.

I turn to face Iver, "How are you here? You were right next to me when we fell. I thought you..."

The Nidhogg crashes into the wall trying to tunnel away into the collapsed hallway. Crying and thrashing harder each time creating large cracks that spiral through the hallway.

"Let's talk later," Iver responds and then takes off down the hallway.

Cold air rushes past me from the frigid air that awaits outside the door at the end of the hallway. My heart flutters seeing Frode, Haralda, and Langley standing there unharmed. Finally free from the walls of the castle and the horrors they held.

Outside is the same dark sky above a thick forest. The trees tower into the sky and are at least a couple of arm lengths wide. One of these trees could easily build a whole longhouse in my village. Each tree is topped with a dense, copper canopy, unlike any tree I have seen before. Heavy Fog shifts between the trees, forming an almost opaque wall throughout the forest. In the distance, sharp, spear-like mountains surround us, positioned like they are attacking the sky.

The castle thunders behind us, beginning to collapse from the Nidhogg's wrath. The beast plows through the castle walls towards us, slamming on the ground in front of us. Behind the beast, the castle completely collapses into a cloud of dust and smoke. The Nidhogg lets out a powerful screech, shaking the leaves in the trees. This screech rings different than previous cries, almost desperate. The beast doesn't even focus on us in its anguish, instead it just squirms on the ground completely ignoring its prey.

We all stand with our weapons drawn ready for it to direct its pain towards us. The Nidhogg finally ceases its high pitch shrieks and its body falls limp to the ground. Its head sinks into the dirt. Its blue eye remains open, glaring at us with a lifeless stare. The beast's scales fluctuate from something moving within its body until they finally crack and green blood spills onto the ground. A figure covered in the insides of the beast and green blood steps out of the large hole that has been ripped into the Nidhogg.

"You can not cage Bjorn!" Shouts Bjorn. His clothes and skin stained green from the blood of the beast.

We all stand in disbelief until Frode breaks the silence, "Now how in the gods did you manage to do that. Apparently, this beast can't even digest your smelly ass."

"Drop dead. You wish you could be half the man that could conquer this beast." Bjorn retaliates, flinging blood and guts from his arms as he speaks. "Hey, Is this one of those key things you spoke of?"

His hand holds a large golden key. Its design is simple, yet intricate. Two teeth jut out from its slender body with a series of loops housed on its top. An unfamiliar language is carved into each one.

"Maybe the gods have not forsaken us after all," cheers Iver bringing tired smiles to everyone's faces.

Our celebration is short-lived, ending as the Nidhogg's wounds start to steam. Maybe we shouldn't push our luck. We run into the fog of the forest, hoping to put enough distance between us and the beast.