Demon-Killing Sword

18.2 Capital

They trudged onwards. The castle slowly grew closer, looming and looming until they were upon it. It towered above them. Muninn could make out the cracks in the sheer stone of the castle, the blemishes in the white walls. The front doors were barricaded shut. Someone had crashed a half-dozen carts against it, completely blocking off access. To keep us out, or keep something in?

It didn't matter. She had to get the sword back, no matter what.

Muninn took in the rest of the castle. The arrow slits looked even narrower up close. The broad windows were at least a dozen, two dozen feet up a sheer face of stone.

With a sharp cry, a lesser valkyrie took flight from the nearest tower. Muninn watched it go, then turned to Huginn. "How're we supposed to get inside?"

"Fly," he said.

She flapped her wing at him, sure he could feel it with his arm around her shoulders. "It's not working."

Huginn sighed. "I don't know. Isn't this your thing? Can't you fall asleep and dream us a secret path, or something?"

"You're a smuggler, shouldn't you already know a route in?" she countered.

"This is my first time out," he said.

Muninn furrowed her brows at him. He raised his back. "You never mentioned that."

"You never asked."

Low rumbling made Muninn freeze. Beside her, Huginn jumped. They whirled as one.

A low creature with a long snout glared at them. Clumsy claws pointed inward. Stubby legs pushed it ahead. It snorted and approached them, slit eyes regarding them with reptilian indifference. Huginn backed away. After a moment, he realized Muninn wasn't moving and dragged her with him. She stumbled, still frozen.

The demon crawled at them. It opened its mouth and hissed. Teeth lined every inch of its mouth. Huginn backed up against the wall. At last, Muninn came back to life and pressed herself against the wall. Her hand dropped to her belt. The sword wasn't there. Her stomach pulled to her spine. She tensed. No, no, no! It couldn't end here!

Hissing through its open mouth, the demon stomped past. Its thick tail swished past, and then it vanished around the corner.

Muninn breathed out. Thank goodness for this cloak.

The floor trembled under her feet. Stone ceilings pressed down, too low, too close. She raced down the hallway, chasing after Brunhild. A low growl set the candle sconces trembling. Light danced along the walls, chased by shadow. There was a thick, musty smell in the air. Dry rustling, almost like dead leaves, but louder, came from behind her.

The candles flickered again, and for just a second, a thick, sinuous shadow slithered across the wall.

"Keep running!" Sigurd shouted. It took Muninn a second to realize that his voice had come from her throat. A memory.

A shadow stood ahead. It raised its fuzzy head as they approached, and though it had no eyes, she knew they would be sad. Brunhild ran by, and it turned to watch. Sigurd charged right at it as though he couldn't see it, and Muninn was dragged along. She flinched back.

She blasted through the shadow. It blew apart, no more than a cloud of black smoke. Muninn tried to turn and look, but she was no more than a passenger in Sigurd's body. He kept running, and she was forced to follow.

"Where did it come from? The forest?" Brunhild called. She didn't turn back, just shouted louder.

Sigurd shrugged. "It's always been legend that demons can transform. Perhaps it's true."

Another growl rumbled the hallway. Something heavy thumped against the wall. Dust fell like snow from the ceiling. The creature chasing them hissed. It resonated down the narrow hall until the sound came from all around them, ahead, behind, even the sides.

Shadow loomed up on the right, a narrow hallway opening into the larger one they were in. Sigurd lunged into it.

"What are you doing?" Brunhild shouted.

"Just keep running!"

Sigurd drew his sword. Muninn recognized it immediately: the Demon-Killing Sword! She smiled. Right, if he cuts the demon with that—!

He turned away from the hallway for a second. When he turned back, a coil of patterned brown scales were slithering down the hallway.

Muninn's eyebrows shot up. That's a huge snake! It was as big around as she was tall. It barely fit in the larger hallway.

Sigurd lunged with the sword. Muninn held her breath.

The sword clanged off the snake's tough scales. Sigurd grimaced. "Damn it!"

The coils slowed. Pushed by the force of their momentum, they piled up on top of each other as the snake came to a halt.

Deliberately, the coils began slithering backwards. Sigurd swallowed and raised his sword.

CLANG! Metal slammed into metal, loud as a gong. Sigurd jumped. The coils halted again, then surged forward.

"Come get me, you scaly git!" Brunhild shouted.

"Brunhild, no!" Sigurd shouted. He lunged for the opening to the hallway. No! She can't, I won't let her die!

He burst into the hallway. Brunhild stood well ahead of the snake, her eyes shut tight. She was leaning against a tapestry, shoulders stiff. Is she hurt? His heart twinged.

"Come on!" She slammed the butt of her sword into the door behind her again, and the clang echoed down the hallway once more. Mouth wide, the snake lunged at her.

What is she... oh! He held his breath, waiting. The snake grew closer and closer, powerful body shivering over stone. It came to a sharp halt and reared high over Brunhild, coiling its tail around it. With a fierce hiss, it drew back its head to strike.

"Now!" Sigurd shouted.

Brunhild yanked hard. Hinges squealed. The floor swung out from under the snake. It lunged, but its head struck the floor instead of Brunhild. The snake fell into darkness. Its tail spooled after it. It slid down the hallway, picking up speed, until it all vanished, deep into the castle.

There was a pause. Brunhild opened her eyes, her chest still heaving. Sigurd shook his head and ran his hair back. I can't believe that worked.

Something moved down below. Sigurd peered over the edge. The snake was already slithering away. That drop didn't even bother it! He looked at Brunhild. "How long do you think that'll hold it?"

She let go of the lever behind the tapestry and shrugged. The floor thumped back into place. "Long enough to fetch the king."

Sigurd nodded and jogged over to her.

She looked up as he approached and broke into a smile. "I can't believe that worked!" she said, laughing, and pushed her hair back.

Her finger twinkled. His eyes were drawn to it, to the ring on her finger. The air went out of his lungs. The world narrowed to just her, to just the ring.

Muninn caught her breath. It's the one the man handed her after the fight!

"How's Gunnar?" he asked at last.

The smile faded, turned slowly into a frown. "My husband? He's fine." She spun on her heel and stomped off. "The king awaits us. Let us be off."