Sean cautiously made his way to the house, slipping into the kitchen and closing the door a bit anxiously. Mark shooed Lulu from the kitchen, encouraging her to get ready. Which she happily rushed off to do. The moment she was gone from earshot, Sean told Mark in a shaky but quiet tone of voice. "Mark... I'm not sure we should go today. I thought I saw... Someone was out there." Moving closer, Mark peered out of the window of the backdoor, asking casually. "Are you sure? What did they look like?" Shrugging, Sean mumbled out. "I didn't get a good look. Does it matter? With everything going on right now... Mark, I'm not sure we are safe..." Mark ran a hand through Sean's hair comfortingly. Pulling him closer into his arms, Mark told him gently. "We don't know who it was. Midgard is full of creatures and people. Let's try to relax and have some fun." Sean shifted uncomfortably, telling him gruffly. "I'd have more fun if I didn't feel like I was being hunted..."
Mark kissed the top of his head, then told him lovingly. "I'll protect you. Come on. Don't make me drag you outside." Shoving Mark innocently, Sean muttered out weakly. "Caveman..." Mark patted his arm, leaving the kitchen to call for Lulu. He didn't want to go but forced himself to follow Mark outside. They headed down a beautiful stone staircase with Lulu excitedly pointing out everything she saw along the way. The view was gorgeous with the trees limbs that hung over the stairway along the mountain side like a curtain. They startled a few deer resting in the tall grass and eventually came upon a grassy meadow that overlooked a massive lake with a distant channel between two mountains that lead to the ocean. The water was a crisp crystal blue that shimmered in the light and a little wooden dock led out to a wooden fishing boat. Stopping a little ways from the dock, Sean laid out their blanket and set the picnic basket on it. For a moment, he couldn't help but take it all in. The air was clear, and the lush trees made the grey mountains so inspiring to look at.
Easing down to sit on the blanket, he watched Mark take Lulu to the dock. Retrieving the fishing poles from the boat and helping her set them up. Mark glanced back, trying to beckon him over, but Sean merely shook his head. He wanted to relax a little. After his battle with Billy and stressing over the unknown stalker, he just wanted to take a moment for himself. Lulu sat with Mark on the edge of the dock, their distant voices cheery enough that it made him happy to watch them. Stretching his legs and wings out, he enjoyed the soft chirping of birds, until something cold moved across his neck and a feminine voice hissed into his ear. "Ljosalfar. Light Elf. You truly are as radiant as the tales say... and I'd guess just as deadly." Staying very still, he stared off at Mark's back and let her words sink in. She hadn't called him by his name but by his race. Was she an NPC? Trying to remain calm, he asked the person softly. "What do you want?"
The woman's free hand grabbed the back of his neck, before darkly replying. "This is a sacred place. Beings like you don't belong here. You, Ljosalfar, consider yourself gods... tampering with the light of Alfheim. Your presence here will anger him." Sean blinked, turning his head slightly when he asked nervously. "Anger who?" The woman dug her nails into the back of his neck to hold him firmly, before removing her dagger to point out at the lake. Sean didn't see anything out there but found himself fascinated by her dagger. It was curved and pale like a sharpened bone in the design of a fang. Along the blade was circular symbol that he swore he had seen before. He just couldn't recall where. When she brought the blade back to his neck, she whispered with slight amusement. "What's wrong, Ljosalfar? Are your eyes failing you? Can't you see him? He's hard to miss." Sean stared at the water blankly. There was nothing he could see that was out of the ordinary. Until he saw movement in the water.
Straightening up, he started to yell for Mark, but her hand covered his mouth to silence him. His strangled cry was enough that Mark turned his head in his direction. Seeing him, Mark launched to his feet and yelled out. "HEY! Get your hands off him! NOW!" The woman didn't let him go. Her soft chuckle plaguing Sean's ears. Raising a hand, Sean pointed at the creature slowly rising from the lake behind Mark. The rush of water rolling off of it like a waterfall, making Mark's face pale. While Lulu started to scoot back away from the edge of the dock toward the grass as she stammered out. "M-m-m-mark...? I caught something... big. You can tell it that I don't want it and release it back. Right...?" Sean exhaled all the air in his lungs as the creature snorted water from its slitted nostrils over Mark and Lulu. It's narrowed slitted white eyes glaring at them before a forked grey tongue flicked out from between its grey scaly lips. The woman lowered her hand from Sean's mouth and single name slipped from his own lips. "Jormungandr." The world serpent.
Sean took in the view with fresh eyes. His skin breaking out in goosebumps. The grey mountains that surrounded the lake were not mountains. It was the snake's massive grey body with thick spikes along its back that appeared to be peaks. Sean swallowed, his heart racing. Beside him the woman stated into his ear. "It's time for us to feed him." At her words, Sean jerked his head to look right at her. His words dying in his throat. The woman was human with black snake tattoo. The head of the tattoo resting on the back of her hand, the body coiling up her arm and around her neck before down her other arm to the tail resting on her other hand. Mark looked between Jormungandr and Sean, before reaching out to scoop up Lulu into his arms. From the woods, a group of people with the same tattoo as her stepped out with ropes attached to livestock that were painted with a single snake wrapped around them.
The woman yanked Sean up to his feet, moving closer to Mark and the dock as she called out. "Great Serpent of Midgard! Take these trespassers as an offering! Two of them carry the blood of the Aesir gods that threw you from Asgard to our realm so cruelly! Take your vengeance upon them and grow ever stronger!" Mark held Lulu against himself, covering her eyes as he stared up at the giant serpent. The woman shoved Sean forward to his knees, then dropped to a knee herself and raised her hands up to hold them in a circle that made it seem like the mouth and tail of her tattoo met. Sitting up, Sean tried to think of a spell that might help them, when Jormungandr surprised them all by answering in a deep voice that was oddly soothing. "Blood of the gods they have... but not of the god I desire vengeance upon. Your offering is appreciated, but not accepted. Let them go." The woman looked a little disappointed but bowed her head and said respectfully. "As you wish, Great one. But at least command the Ljosalfar to ease you pain...?"
Standing up slowly, Sean asked her curiously. "Ease his...? He's in pain?" The woman looked up at him, answering before Jormungandr could answer. "Yes. Since Odin threw him from Asgard. The fall to Midgard has left Jormungandr weak and sluggish from pain. We've tried to help him... but we don't have the magic required to help him in Midgard. We need one of your kind. A Vanir or a Ljosalfar. Which is rare in Midgard..." Mark glanced around to the other people as they ventured closer with their livestock. Sean couldn't help recognizing a few from the little town. Behind them, Jormungandr stated coolly. "I will not command such a thing. I simply need to rest." The woman rose to her feet, retorting seriously. "But Great one! You have been resting for years! And the water is not helping with your fever... and the shedding of your skin hasn't helped either... Please? If you will not ask... Then I shall for you." Mark huffed, grumbling out. "first you try to feed us to it and now you want our help? I think we are inclined to say no."
The woman's expression turned into a guilty one as she quickly told them. "I'm sorry... We don't trust outsiders. Especially ones that share in the divine power of Asgardians. They tried to kill Jormungandr once... and in his state... we must protect him. I know from the stories that Ljosalfar are known for spreading diseases that only they can cure. Aesir are known warriors that kill anyone that stands between them and glory. Dokkalfar. The Dark Elves... are known to be similar to the Dwarven race. Those known to find and forge precious metals into the chains that bind Fenrir to this day. We were not sure of your intentions here... but we guessed you were here for him." Mark looked to Sean, asking in a low voice. "What are you thinking?" Sean glanced between her and Jormungandr. He couldn't imagine this was a trap. It sounded very similar to the Norse lore that he'd read once about Jormungandr. Taking a slow deep breath, he told her honestly. "We picked this place to live because of its distant location... We had no idea that he was here. If he's hurting... I will help him."
Mark shifted nervously, muttering out under his breath in warning. "Sean... Think about this..." Straightening up, Sean told him aloud. "I have. I... I've always liked the tales of Jormungandr. He's venomous... but wise. I... I trust him." Mark shook his head a little but didn't stop Sean from walking by him toward the dock. Drawing the symbol to bring up his menu, Sean scrolled threw his magic spells until he found his strongest one. It made him nervous that it would drain both his magic and stamina bars, but it was all he had. Prepping the spell, he told Jormungandr truthfully. "I don't know if this will be enough to heal you... but if you wanna try...?" Jormungandr flicked out his tongue at him, then eased his large head down to rest it on the shore beside the dock. Wincing, Jormungandr told him in a slightly pained tone. "I've lived with this for so long. Whether you can do it or not, will not upset me." Sean waited until he was settled and his magic was charged up. Then reaching out, he touched Jormungandr's face, still feeling incredibly tiny when compared to him.
Closing his eyes, Jormungandr sighed as the magic bathed his head in a golden light. Sean held his concentration, allowing himself to take his time with it. When he finished, the last of his stamina ticked away and he fell to the ground limply. Setting down Lulu, Mark rushed to his side and Sean told him calmly. "I'm ok. Just... tired." The woman moved closer to Jormungandr, asking him in a worried voice. "How do you feel, Great Serpent?" Jormungandr opened his white slitted eyes, blinking a little startled when he answered. "I feel a little... better. My headache is gone." The woman smiled brightly, dropping to her knee to hold her hands up in a circle again as she stated happily. "That is blessed news." The other people around, all dropped to a knee to make the same gesture. While Jormungandr lifted his head to look at Sean and said with the curling of his scaly lips. "Thank you, Ljosalfar. I shall not forget this. In my gratitude, ask what you will of my knowledge. I shall answer."
Mark hefted Sean up into his arms, giving the serpent the simple bow of his head in acknowledgement. Smiling, Sean answered a little weakly. "You're welcome." Jormungandr lifted his head more proudly, telling them coolly. "If you desire. Come back tomorrow and try to heal me again. For now, you should rest and think upon this knowledge. Your next boss is a mighty heroine. Stolen from her homeland and captives. No mortal man can resist her. For she turns men upon themselves." Mark stiffened, asking suddenly very interested. "You are talking about the next boss?" Jormungandr nodded, telling him casually. "She plays on a man's deep desire and longs to be set free from Midgard. Should you face her. Your weapons will be useless. You will have to find another way. That is all I will leave you with for today." Mark raised an eyebrow, admitting to Sean playfully. "You know... I thought having a giant snake in our lake would lower the property value... but I think we might have stumbled onto a gold mine." Lulu chuckled and Sean rolled his eyes sleepily as he rested his head down on Mark's shoulder. To Be Continued...