Following Our Own Script

Chapter Five

"I don't lie."

"Isn't spinning the truth lying?"

"I don't spin the truth enough to lie."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Loki swam around the lake. He was enjoying himself. Heimdall stayed still, resting his head against a rock as the sun kissed his face. They needed to get back to work, but for once, Heimdall didn't want to be the adult in the situation. He let himself sink back under water.

His eyes opened. The lake led to the river they followed to get here. Several other canals split from the far right side, presumably going back out to the ocean. If this was the main freshwater source to the island, he wondered why they hadn't seen more wildlife.

A perfectly timed thought. At least this time, Loki wasn't the one to ruin the moment.

Heimdall froze, making eye contact with what he assumed was a snake. It swam towards them at an alarming speed. The creature blended seamlessly into the water with translucent scales. If not for its massive, orange eyes, Heimdall might have second-guessed himself.

Springing from the lake, Heimdall rushed to shore. "Out! Now! Move!" He grabbed Hǫfuð, turning around to a growl.

Loki, upon spotting the creature seconds from becoming lunch, transformed. His wolf form sprang in the air, dodging the snake's bite. Landing on the opposite side of the bank, the two watched the beast rise from the water.

Heimdall blocked his eyes from the assaulting sunbeams. The snake's skin was reflective, silhouetted entirely in light. Through squinted eyes, Heimdall watched it rear back its head. The beast's toothless mouth opened, unhinging to show the true girth of its throat. This thing could easily swallow one of them whole. He could already see their arms stuck at their sides as they slid deeper and deeper into its endless body. Compared to the World Serpent, it was an ant. But an incredibly fast and feral ant.

The only indication of a tail came from more weaponized sunlight. Loki leaped out of the way as the tail crashed into the ground. The snake roared, not hissed. Purple goo spewed from the mouth. Venmo? Heimdall had no intentions of finding out.

Loki raced across the bank towards his bow. The snake, now looming in the center of the lake, shot itself towards him. A pool of gold surrounded Loki as he fell from his wolf form back to human. He rolled, grabbing his quiver from the ground, landing on his knee. Snatching his bow, he fired directly into the snake's mouth as it opened inches from his face.

The snake howled, giving Loki enough time to finish his dodge. He readied for another shot as the creature turned, but Heimdall had had enough.

"Slow down."

Time around Loki and the snake paused. Heimdall dashed over, slicing the beast's head off clean. As time returned, its body shot into the air, spewing blood down upon them. The bloody rain threatened to undo their bath. Heimdall side-stepped until he was far from the splash zone, saving their clothes in the process.

As death took the creature, the glass scales cracked. Grayish green skin shown through the armor. As the snake became visible, so did the true length of its body. Easily ten meters of flesh trashed in the water.

"What the hell was that?" Loki asked, reaching out for his clothes. Heimdall tossed him his tunic after putting on his own.

"Didn't get to have a personable conversation with that one?"

Loki shook his head. "Definitely not friendly."

"Wouldn't have guessed."

In the water, its speed threatened Heimdall's. By the time its presence registered, he was racing it. The beasts in these lands were fascinating.