"How are we supposed to get to Asgard?"
"The Bifrost," she said promptly, in the same casual tone one might say "bus" or "train".
"The what?"
"Bifrost," Sif repeated. "Think of it like a bridge that connects Asgard and Midgard, but it's made of rainbows."
A bridge made out of rainbows? That was certainly a building material I would have never thought to use. Part of me wondered how that was even possible even how a rainbow was just light reflecting through water, but I swallowed my question. What our transportation was made of was not important if it could just get us there safely.
"How do we get to it?"
Sif held out her hand to me. "We can't get to it here, we need to go somewhere remote but I'm just going to teleport us there. Much faster than those automobiles you drive."
I stared at her. "To bring someone along with you?"
"Yes," Sif gave me a confused look. "How else are we supposed to transport wounded during battle?"
Battle? Did her kind fight among themselves in a civil war? Or were there other worlds out there, worlds with people just as powerful as Sif and her own people? I didn't know, but I intended to find out at the soonest opportunity.
However, I didn't ask that question-because I had a more important one on my mind. "Is it safe for me to travel like that?" I didn't know anything about teleporting, but I knew it wasn't something I had ever used and I wanted to know the risks that came with it.
Sif nodded. "Yes, all the other contestants out of their homes this way as well. They were fine."
"How many are there?" I asked, still wary of this new mode of transportation even with her assurances. "How many others are in these trials?"
"Counting you? Eight."
So I had to beat seven other people to become like Sif and find the Jotun. I'd had worse odds. I took a deep breath and grabbed Sif's hand, as ready as I would ever be to take the plunge. "Let's go."
Sif grinned and there was a loud cracking sound in my ears and suddenly I was weightless. That sensation of floating lasted only a moment and then changed, flipping so that I felt like I was being shoved into a trash compactor. My bones popped and bright white lights jumped around my vision and then it was over.
Head spinning, my legs gave out and I collapsed to the ground, shutting my eyes tightly as I tried to keep the cottage cheese I'd eaten earlier from coming back up. "Ugh," I groaned. "How do you do that all the time? That's awful!"
"Perhaps you just need to get used to it?" Sif offered and I heard a lilt to her voice that only suggested barely held back laughter. I opened one eye and sure enough, she was shaking with silent giggle.
"Something funny?" I asked dryly daring to open my mouth now that some of the nausea was fading.
"You're face looks green," she said, still laughing. "It looks funny. If you could see it, you'd be laughing too."
I rolled my eyes and stood shakily to my feet. "Will I have to do that on your world? On Asgard?"
"In the event of an emergency, yes you will, but outside of that no. Not unless you ask someone to take you."
"Great," I muttered. I was certain that I would not ask to go anywhere via teleporting. "So where are we?" I looked around us for the first time now that my head wasn't so dizzy. We were in an empty lot, surrounded by thick, tall trees and a partial frame a house was not far away. Someone was building a home here.
"Where are we?"
"The Massachusetts countryside," Sif said. "Lovely isn't it?"
I smashed a bug that had landed on my neck. "I think I prefer Boston. Why are we here? This place isn't exactly remote," I pointed to the in-progress home. "People own this land."
"Yeah but they aren't here right now. So that means this place is free for us to use." Sif grabbed my around the waist and yanked me towards her so we stood shoulder to shoulder. Before I could question what she was doing, she lifted her head towards the sky and shouted something in a language I didn't recognize.
There was a loud crash of thunder overhead, making me leap up in surprise. The evening sky had been clear ten seconds ago. Above us, a dark mass of swirling black clouds were moving restlessly and Sif was smiling up at it with anticipation. "Hang on!" She shouted as the thunder rolled again and there was a blinding flash of multicolored lights splitting the dark clouds this time.
The light burned brightly and I had to shut my eyes as it dropped towards the ground and there was a weight of misty air clinging to my skin and I shivered against the coolness of it. I tried to open my mouth, call out for Sif, but my words were lost as I felt a sharp swooping sensation, like falling down a zip line and then, as soon as it began, it was over.
My feet touched a hard surface again and I opened my eyes, shaking and my teeth chattering. "Easy," I heard Sif say. "You're not going to be sick again are you?"
"I-I'm f-fine," I chattered. "Where are we?"
It looked like an office to me. The room was square, holding several honey colored shelves which were stocked with binders and books. A large desk stood in front of them, bare of any of the office supplies I would have expected to see, such as a computer, but it was strewn with papers and large, old-looking books.
I titled my head at Sif, who was still looking at me with concern, worried perhaps that I might become ill. I wondered if my face still looked green like it had back when we'd teleported outside of Boston.
"I'm fine," I said again. "Where are we?" I turned, to try and give myself a better view of the space, but that turned out to be a mistake. I slammed into something as I moved, something very solid and warm. I stumbled back from the impact and my forehead throbbed hotly.
"Sorry," I muttered, rubbing my head and wincing. "You okay?"
"I think I did more damage to you." The voice that answered me was male, a stranger and I blinked rapidly, my vision a bit misty and I got a look at the guy. The first thing I noticed was his height-he was tall. Six feet at the very least and his expression was one of concern, his thin lips drawn tightly together and his blue eyes never leaving my face.
"I'm fine," I said, eyes scanning behind the man's tall frame. While he was tall, he wasn't that broad and that allowed me to peek around him quietly easily. I wanted to know if anyone else was in here besides Sif and I-and I didn't want to be caught off guard again if there were. Though the Bifrost was supposed to take us to Asgard, a safe place, my father's time as a police officer and later, my own experience on the force had taught me that there was no such thing. Some places were safer to be than others, but any of them could be filled with danger-all it took was ten seconds.
And because I knew that, I did not want to be caught off guard again.
"Suzume," Sif said, grabbing my shoulder. "Calm down."
"I am calm."
"You don't look it."
"That's just how I always look," I mumbled. Yuki's voice chimed in my memory, "You have your cop face on". My heart twisted in my chest and the sharp edge of wariness dulled inside me.
"Okay, maybe, but still, you're safe and don't worry, this giant is one of the friendly ones." Sif smiled sweetly at the man and he rolled his eyes.
"I'm not a giant," he grumbled, crossing his long arms, his crisp white shirt wrinkling as he did. "You're just short."
Sif's smiled faded. "That's just being mean."
"No," the man said, grinning now. "That's just the truth."
"I hate you." Sif's words were sharp but her tone was not. It took me a moment, but I recognized what this was. These two knew one another and they knew each other well indeed. Their banter was quick, bouncing back and forth between them with ease. The words they spoke could have been insults, but they were not. They were both laughing, poking fun at each other and equaling enjoying the game.
The same games Yuki and I had played our entire lives... My breath came in sharply, as though my ribs had been broken and I shut my eyes a moment to steady myself. I would mourn later-right now I had something more important to attend to. In my head, I heard Yuki again, telling me that crying wasted time and mascara.
Keeping that in mind, I addressed the stranger. "Let me guess, you're Thor?" My words came out harsh, almost accusatory and the banter between them fell to a sharp halt. Sif had told me on Earth that she and Thor were like siblings and that, combined with my reason for being here left me with plenty of confidence that the man she was speaking to was indeed Thor. Some part of me did realize that as far as first impressions went, I was being quiet rude. Not an ideal way to start off a potential relationship and manners told me that I should have apologized. But that part of me was small. The part of me that had its heart ripped from its body and smashed on the ground, the part that had heard endless, "I'm sorrys" and spent an all day yesterday dressed in a hot-pink suit at Yuki's funeral and then spent the next day fighting with her mother didn't care.
I was here to catch her killer and to do that, I needed some information and I needed it as soon as possible.
The man slumped forward, his posture no longer straight. "Sorry," he apologized which I found strange. I was the one being rude. "Introductions should have come first, I'm Thor."
I'd been right. "Suzume Hamada," I returned, holding out my hand to shake his.
"Nice to meet you," he said even as he grabbed my hand, but he didn't shake it as I expected him to do. Rather, he kissed my hand like we were back in the nineteen-twenties I drew my hand back instantly and I heard Sif laugh behind me.
I shot her a questioning look and she, doubled over with mirth managed to choke out-"You look so violated." And her ability to speak was lost as she went into another fit of giggles
"I didn't mean to offend you," Thor said instantly, apparently agreeing with Sif's assessment of my reaction.
"You didn't," I told him, feeling warmth rush to my face. "We just-well we don't do that were I'm from when we say hello to strangers."
Thor considered that, his sky-blue eyes thoughtful. "Then what do you do? When you greet strangers I mean, what is customary?"
I held out my hand again, still feeling incredibly awkward. "A handshake, a handshake is how we say hello."
Thor blinked a moment, apparently surprised by that answer, but then he grabbed my hand again and this time, he shook my hand.
I smiled, a sense of relief washing over me but the awkwardness wasn't entirely gone either. Thankfully, however, my sense of purpose was even stronger than that and it emboldened me to keep the conversation moving. "It's nice to meet you as well. I assume you need a statement about the attack then?"
Thor's smile faded and he let go of my hand. "Attack?" he repeated, eyes moving quickly between Sif and I. "What attack?"
Sif's jaw tensed. "A Jotun was on Midgard."
A mixture of anger and surprise flickered across Thor's strong features, but they faded out a second later and he appeared tense, but otherwise calm. I had to admit that control impressed me. Given what I had been told about Loki, knowing he'd managed to slip onto the Bifrost and down to Earth would've sent me into a frenzy.
"Are you hurt?" he asked Sif who shook her head in reply.
"No, we," she pointed at me, "managed to use a raidoho orb to send him back to Jotunheim."
Thor regarded me, surprise evident on his face. "You helped displace a Jotun?"
I nodded, stomach twisting as I recalled that night. "It wasn't without cost, but yes, I did."
"Cost?" he said, a heavy note entering his deep voice. "There were other Midgardians there?"
"Myself and my cousin," I replied, not able to use her name. "She was killed in the attack."
"I'm so sorry."
There was that phrase again. I grit my teeth, knowing that I'd been rude enough already and that spitting out a sarcastic answer wasn't a good idea. "Thank you, so am I." I took a deep breath to try and steady myself in the wake of the grief that was a tidal wave inside me. "Do you need to interview me about the attack?"
Thor nodded, his expression becoming business-like. "Please, sit down." He indicated a chair on the other side of his desk and I nodded, sinking into it and beginning the story. It was easier to do this here on Asgard than on Earth. Here, they'd believe me. Sif was helpful, filling in gaps when grief overtook me and made it hard to continue.
"Is there anything else you remember?" Thor asked, a bit of ink spattered onto his face as he took notes.
"No," I said. "Nothing."
"Thank you," he said, rolling up the bit of paper he'd been writing on. "I'll bring this news to my father. If Jotun aresomehow traveling to Midgard, we'll need to tighten security."
"Is that the only way to reach Earth?" I asked, "To go through Asgard?"
"It's not the only way," Thor said, a hint of hesitation in his voice. "There are other routes, but going through Asgard is most effective. More direct, fewer unpredictable events." He got onto his feet, towering over Sif and I. "I'm sorry Miss Hamada, but in light of this, I can't escort you to your room as I'd like. Sif, can you take her?"
"Of course," she said instantly. "This is more important."
"Thanks," he shot a quick smile at her and then he shimmered, vanishing from behind the desk.
"Sorry about how abrupt that was," Sif apologized as I got onto my feet. "It's just-."
"Don't apologize," I said. "Jotun need to be kept out of here at all costs." Though I knew Sif was powerful, the frost giants were too. Thor had been very surprised to hear that she and I had held one off and came out unharmed. That was telling enough.
Sif smiled. "Thanks for getting it," she said, "so, do you want to see your room?"
"Sure, that sounds good. But please, can we talk?" I wasn't eager to risk being sick again and Sif nodded. "Great, thank you."
And without another word on my part, I was out the door and Sif was close behind me. Thankfully, the hallways of the building were mostly vacant as Sif and I walked. The place was well-lit, the lights silvery and shimmery, almost like starlight and our two shadows were cast onto the tan walls which assured me a little. I wasn't eager to meet more people today. Though it was night time here (as indicated by the pitch black landscape I spotted as we passed a set of windows) and I was still on Boston time, I was worn out. The combination of Yuki's funeral and my disaster of a good bye with my mother and uncle had worn me out. All I wanted to do was fall into a bed and crash. Or cry. Probably some combination of both.
We turned another corner and I regarded Sif. "Thanks for walking with me."
"No problem."
"What's raidoho?"
"It's a rune," Sif explained, "you remember the symbol that was carved into the sphere?"
I remembered every detail about that night, including the strange, R-shaped symbol. "Yes."
"It symbolizes movement so when we carve it into magical objects, it focuses the energy to move it a certain way. That sphere was designed to send things back to Jotunheim."
"I figured that one out on my own," I commented as Sif came to a halt outside a small door. "This is it?" I asked, not willing to open it until I was sure about what it was. For all I knew, this could've been housing a void in space or a monster. After the last few days, I would have been willing to believe in the possibility of it.
"Yes," Sif told me and I turned the handle and walked inside. The room was fairly unimpressive. About the size of a hotel suit with a queen size bed in the middle and a dresser with a mirror against the opposite wall. "If you want," Sif chattered behind me as I walked inside and set my duffle on the bed. "You are allowed to customize the space, make it more towards your tastes."
"This is fine," I replied, taking out my pictures and setting them up on the nightstand by the bed. I wasn't interested in decorating, nothing about this place was incredibly ugly in my book so there was no reason to make additions or changes.
I dumped my extra rounds onto the mattress and heard Sif huff behind me. "You brought your gun?"
"Yes," I said as I placed the boxes into the nightstand and removed my gun and holster from my side. "I bring it with me wherever I go."
Sif came closer and studied the sleek black machine. "Would you be willing to give me a demonstration of this someday?"
"Sure," I said as I faked a yawn. "But I'll have to be more awake for it, safety reasons and all that. Hope you aren't too disappointed."
"Not at all," Sif was barely in my line of vision and then with that phrase, she was completely out of it. "I'll leave you to rest, good night Suzume."
"Good night."
The door clicked shut behind me and I sat down onto my bed, drained. I was no longer on Earth, I was on Asgard, a place that I had thought was completely fictional and I had just met Thor-a man Sif hoped I would wind up falling in love with and marrying when these trails ended.
The thought made my head spin a bit. When I'd imagined the man I'd marry, I had imagined that he was human. And I'd imagined that I would be able to tell Yuki about him.
I looked over at my nightstand, at the photo of Yuki and I from my graduation. The image blurred into a haze of color as silent tears filled my eyes. I flopped onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow, not even bothering to dig through my suitcase for pajamas as exhaustion and grief piled on me.
I was on Asgard, about to embark on what would go down in my life history as the craziest thing I'd ever done and the only person I wanted to talk to about it was somewhere I couldn't reach. The pain was unbearable and though I was tired beyond belief, I cried my heart out, soaking my pillow with tears and I waited, hoping and praying that once I finally passed out, I'd be two tired to dream.
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New chapter! Suzume's on Asgard, though I admit it's not off to the best of starts! As always, I welcome feedback!
Write on! :)