Emiko
All I could hear outside was mass panic, sirens going off, and a lot of shouting. Suddenly, Connor and Himari came bursting through the door.
Emiko: "What the hell is going on out there?!"
Himari ran over to me and gave me a hug. The second I was in the hug, all my worries went away. It was somehow really comforting.
N-Not in a weird way...
Connor: "We need to get you out of here, now"
Emiko: "You still haven't told me what's going on"
Himari: "Ragnarok has begun"
Emiko: "As in... the Norse end all event?"
Himari: "Exactly that. But it doesn't just effect the Norse gods, it's everything in existence"
Emiko: "Y-You can't be serious!"
Himari: "The gods are trying to figure out a way to prevent it, but right now..."
Without realizing it, I started crying.
Emiko: "No.... I-It can't end like this...! It's just wrong!!!"
Connor: "Look, Odin said for every demigod to meet up in the Greek wing. He'll explain everything that's going on. So we're taking you with us"
I was still in a stake of shock, and I didn't pay much attention to his words.
Himari: "Emiko, please, trust us"
Himari came in for another hug, which I happily accepted this time.
Emiko: "O-Okay, I'll come with. But I may not be able to walk"
Connor quickly grabbed a wheelchair out of the corner of the room. He brought it over to me, and with the help of Himari, managed to get me in. They got me out of the infirmary and into the Greek wing, where I saw every single demigod in the entire school. I knew there were a lot of students, but there must've been thousands here.
Odin appeared in front of everyone on a stage. He was then flooded with questions by the demigods.
Odin: "Silence!!"
The students went dead silent.
Odin: "I know this is a very frightening time, but we must not panic. While it is true Ragnarok will eventually happen, following Baldur's death, we can prolong it as much as possible. Until we have determined how to do this, prepare for battle. The forces of Niflheim, Musphlheim, and Helheim will be approaching our main gates by morning. We need to be ready. We are 2 Gods down already, as Loki has joined the side of evil.
Himari suddenly screamed.
Himari: "That's wrong!! He would never do that! There's no way he'd kill someone!!"
Odin disappeared from the stage and appeared right in front of Himari. I would've been scared straight to hell, but she didn't even flinch. Odin then got down on his knee, so he was eye level with Himari.
Odin: "I wouldn't be saying these things if I hadn't seen it with my own eye"
Himari: "You're lying!"
Odin: "I swear on the Tree of Yggdrasil I'm being truthful"
Odin placed his hand on Himari's shoulder.
Odin: "He may have turned to the side of evil, but he is also a Norse God. We knew this day would come, and the decision is not up to us. He likely never wanted to, but it has been set in stone"
Himari swatted his hand off of her shoulder.
Himari: "Lay one finger on my dad, and I'll kill everyone here"
Odin was starting to lose his patience.
Odin: "That's enough. You have made your point. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare everyone for Ragnarok"
Odin disappeared and reappeared back on the stage.
Odin: "In this fight, we will all perish. There will be no survivors. However if we fight with all our might, we can stop the forces of evil from controlling this world after we are all gone. So my demigods, fight with me, fight with us, fight for the future!!"
Almost every student started cheering and clapping, however I could see something was wrong. The sky was starting to turn red. The same red symbol we saw when we first saw Apophis appeared in the sky.
The students stared into the sky, as a serpent head emerged from the symbol. The first thing we saw was the large, sharp fangs that could pierced any metal. Followed by his black as night scaled back, with the blood red skin of his underbelly. Spikes of his bones were protruding out of his body. His eyes were as chaotic as ever, almost as if every single spark of chaos what trapped in those eyes. Apophis was here.
Odin yelled into the sky.
Odin: "Begone foul beast!!!"
Out of nowhere, 2 giant lightning bolts shot towards Apophis. I looked over and saw both Zeus and Jupiter, preparing to throw more lightning. However, the bolts seemed to faze right through him.
Apophis started laughing in a deep, scratchy tone. His laugh shook the ground.
Apophis: "It is futile, Imposter Gods. This is merely an astral image of my true form. I have come with a message for you"
If snakes could smile, he was definitely doing it.
Apophis: "Let's make a trade. I'll postpone Ragnarok for another 100,000 years, if you turn over Connor and Emiko Yukari to me"
Odin scowled.
Odin: "You have no control over Ragnarok, vermin!
Apophis: "Oh, but I do. I've been in contact with Surtr, and he owes me a favor. His victory is assured, so what's a few more millennia?"
Odin seemed to be considering it, and most of the students were murmuring as well. Finally, Odin slammed his staff onto the ground.
Odin: "Begone you foul serpent! We will not negotiate with you!!"
Apophis: "Very well. You have one week to prepare. Then, we will drive the world into pure chaos. And it will be all because you didn't want to sacrifice two children"
Apophis's eyes laid on me and Connor.
Apophis: "Connor and Emiko Yukari, the gods are holding information about your past. You two play an important role in this battle. Whether you two survive, that depends on you. However, bare in mind...."
Odin thrusted his staff towards Apophis, and a ball of light shot towards it. Though the beam of light hit it, it went right through. The light did however disrupt the image. His astral form started to fade away. His voice was breaking up, and he only managed to get out 3 words.
Apophis: "One—Not—Survive"
The symbol in the sky faded away, and the sky returned to normal. Everyone turned to Odin. However even Odin looked speechless. He then cleared his throat.
Odin: "We have one week to prepare. I will discuss our plan of defense with the rest of the gods. I ask that you all return to your dorms, and remain there until permitted to leave. Food will be provided to you. That is all"
Odin and the rest of the gods disappeared in a flash of light. The other students turned towards me and Connor, probably thinking about sacrificing us.
Himari quickly grabbed the two of us, along with Angel and Kaito, and bolted out of the Greek wing. Some of the students chased after us, however we were faster, surprising since I was in a wheelchair. We made it to the Norse wing, and Himari forced all of us into her dorm room. She then slammed the door shut and locked it, preventing anyone else from coming in.
Himari: "Damnit..."
Kaito put his hand on Himari's shoulder.
Kaito: "I believe you, if you know your father, you know the truth"
Himari: "Thanks... but... I'm losing hope about it"
Connor spoke up.
Connor: "I can't believe it. The gods chose us over preventing Ragnarok"
Angel: "Ragnarok will happen eventually. If it happens now, or many millennia later, it will still end the same way"
Connor: "Maybe... I should give myself up"
Emiko: "Are you crazy?! You know what, don't answer that, you definitely are!"
Connor: "He asked for both of us. But if he gets one of us, maybe he'll still postpone it"
Kaito: "I doubt it, he was probably bluffing the whole time. The Gods obviously saw through it"
Angel: "But what if it wasn't a bluff?"
Kaito: "Then... I guess this is it. We are not giving you two up to them"
Connor: "I once read this book, it's called Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. It's based solely on Norse Mythology. But, there's a line in there that has stuck with me since we got here"
Emiko: "What is it?"
Connor: "The thing about fate, even if we can't change the big picture, our choices can alter the details. That's how we rebel against destiny"
Himari: "Who said that?"
Connor: "Your father"
Himari's face lit up. Anything positive about her father made her feel really happy. She then realized what Connor was saying.
Himari: "So... we could still postpone Ragnarok?"
Connor: "I could somewhat tell Apophis was telling the truth about Surtr. They're working together. But, if we take down Apophis before Ragnarok, Surtr may reconsider. Essentially postponing Ragnarok"
Emiko: "That plan only works if we can take Apophis down, and if Surtr would actually fall for that"
Kaito plopped down on the couch.
Kaito: "I mean, what other option do we have? It's our best bet, unless the gods come up with some million dollar idea"
Angel: "Himari, what specifically happens during Ragnarok. Like the events leading up to it"
Himari: "Well, first Baldur is killed by Loki. Loki is then trapped in a cave, bound by the guts of his children"
Emiko: "What the f*ck?!"
Kaito: "The gods can be complete psychopaths"
Himari: "Anyways, the next event depends on the source. But I'm pretty sure it begins with either Fenrir the wolf being freed, or Loki being freed"
Angel: "That's exactly what I thought. Something's missing"
Himari: "What?"
Angel: "How long is Loki supposed to be bound for"
Himari: "Thousands of years. What are you—"
Himari quickly caught on.
Himari: "Angel, you genius!!"
Emiko: "I'm lost"
Angel: "If what Himari said is true, then Loki should be locked away for a really long time before Ragnarok begins. But they haven't even found him yet, and Ragnarok starts in a week"
Connor: "Apophis changed the details of Ragnarok. The ending will result the same, but it will happen much sooner"
Emiko: "So if we take Apophis out of the picture, everything should return to normal then?"
Himari's face suddenly went pale.
Himari: "But returning everything to normal means father will have to..."
Angel brought Himari into a hug.
Angel: "It'll be okay. We could probably hide him somewhere"
Himari: "He's a god... he wouldn't be able to hide for very long..."
Suddenly, Aphrodite, Ares, Odin, and Ra appeared in the dorm room. Which honestly, scared the hell out of me.
Odin: "So, it seems you 5 are all in one place. This will make this much quicker"
Angel: "Mr Odin, why are you here?"
Ra looked towards us.
Ra: "We are here because we've been listening in on your conversation. And we believe you are right. Stopping Apophis should postpone Ragnarok for a very long time"
Emiko: "Great, let's make a giant army and storm wherever he's at"
Ares: "Stupid girl... it's not that simple"
Emiko: "Who're you calling a stupid girl!!"
I didn't care if he was a god and I was in a wheelchair, I would've thrown down with him then and there.
Connor: "Do you know where he is?"
Aphrodite: "Sadly, we do not. He has hidden himself very well. However we have a general area where he could be hiding"
Connor: "Where is this area? The underworld?"
Aphrodite: "No, New Jersey"
Kaito: "Even worse"
Odin cleared his throat.
Odin: "Besides, sending an all out assault without knowing anything would be foolish. Instead, we will send a small team to scout out the area"
Emiko: "Let me guess... you want to send us"
Odin: "That is correct. I want to send 6 of you to try and locate his whereabouts. When found out, report back, and we'll send backup"
Himari: "Hold on! Emiko is in no condition to go anywhere"
Odin: "We will find a healer. She must accompany you"
Connor: "Wait, how about she comes with us to Egypt"
Odin: "Why Egypt?"
Aphrodite: "Oh of course! Connor wanted to see Heka"
Connor: "He could heal Emiko, and fix her bow while we're there"
Emiko: "We... could go see father again?"
Aphrodite: "Of course. However getting to him is no easy task"
Kaito: "Which is why you have me. Born and raised there"
Connor: "You're from Egypt? You really don't look like it"
Kaito: "Trust me, I know that place like the back of my hand"
Angel: "Who is the 6th person joining us?"
Odin: "We will be sending Siyuka along with you"
Pretty much all of us were against this.
Emiko: "Oh hell no! She's the one who did this to me! She broke my bow! We can't trust her!!"
Odin: "Be that as it may, she is still the strongest Demigod we have"
Himari: "Emiko is right! We're not taking her with"
Odin: "Girl, you're on a very thin ice..."
Kaito: "No, she's got a point. If Siyuka comes with us, we won't be able to work together. I can predict the exact senecio. We'll find Apophis, she'll want to rush in and try to kill him. We'll tell her no, but she'll rush in anyways and get the rest of us in trouble"
Ra: "We know she is not the easiest to get along with. But she will prove invaluable in combat"
Connor: "Fine, she can come with"
Odin: "I'm glad you under—"
Connor cut him off.
Connor: "But if she tries anything that will hurt us or the mission, I won't hesitate to leave her for the wolves"
I just stared at him in shock. That was easily the most bad*ss thing Connor had ever said.
Odin: "This is about the best I'll get.... Very well"
Ra: "You 6 will leave in the morning. You will have a week to get Emiko back up to full strength, find Apophis, and let us know so we can launch the attack. If we make the first move, our chances of success increase greatly"
Aphrodite: "We will provide you with whatever you need before your departure. Try and sleep well, we'll see you in the morning!"
The 4 of them disappeared in a flash of light.
Kaito: "So... anyone up for a quest?"
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Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter was mostly dialogue. I promise the next chapter will involve a lot more interesting stuff!
I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you all next time!