Then maybe you should keep your magic to yourself, Elan gripes.
I grumble. “Sorry. But at least I tried.”
Another crack grabs our attention as Thor holds Mjolnir high, lightning splitting the sky in all directions until it redirects and aims at the lava monster. The beast twists at the last split second, causing the lightning bolt to miss it again. I’m shocked that something so big can move so quickly. Either that, or it’s just dumb luck.
Disappointment and frustration cloud Thor’s face. He spins and releases his hammer, using Mjolnir's projection to fly his body straight at the monster’s feet, knocking the beast to the ground. The jolt shoots through the whole body, including its hand, as its backside hits the ground. I wish all this jerking and jumping would cause the lava monster to release us, but my wish goes ungranted, and the hand doesn’t release its grip, although it does loosen enough to give us a clearer view of our surroundings.
A view of Thor getting pummeled by the lava monster and knocked away shatters my hopes. That wasn’t the image I was hoping for. His body flips and rolls before grinding to a halt. Almost immediately, the monster’s empty hand swipes at Thor with claws extended, ripping a hole in his pants.
Through clenched teeth, I cry with dread. That can't be good. Scratches like that infected Elan, rendering her unconscious and almost killing her. Getting over that injury and the magic held within the lava monster's claw marks took a long time.
Despite the pain covering his face, Thor climbs to his feet and swings his hammer, releasing it at the lava monster before staggering awkwardly. Already, his actions seem more sluggish, and the lava monster has more time to move to one side, sending Mjolnir careening past unhindered.
A massive black fist swipes at the staggering Thor, pummeling him again and sending him flying several feet in the other direction with a final hit. Thor's body flops aside like a plush doll and thumps to the ground, unmoving.
I clasp at the crack in the fingers with both hands, trying to pry them farther apart. “No!” I scream, dread riding my voice.
Elan’s tail twitches beneath my feet. What is it?
“Thor’s been scratched by the monster. He’s tried to continue fighting, but the scratch is already affecting him. He’s being thrashed and thrown, and he won't get up.” I stare at his unmoving body, willing him to move.
Elan gripes, Well, that's it, then. We’re doomed.
“I know it’s not looking good. But we can’t give up.”
Hmm. I disagree. The monster hasn’t released us yet, so we’re officially damned. She attempts to swivel, probably to see out of a crack.
“Stop moving, Elan. You're squashing me. If you keep it up, I’m not going to be able to breathe.”
Sorry. I was attempting to help, but that's useless. I can’t bite the stupid monster because it's squashing my face.
The vision of Thor's lifeless body is ripped away as the lava monster swivels. Vibrations rattle us, matching the walking giant's pace as the grasp on Elan and me tightens.
- Chapter Two -
* * *
My heart sinks—not only for myself and Elan but also for what happened to Thor. The last I saw, he was sprawled on the ground, unmoving. I hope he’s all right. Asgard needs him, and he is also becoming one of my friends.
My body jerks with each giant footstep the monster takes, the reverberations traveling through its enormous body. The constant shaking rattles my bones, vibrating up to my neck and head and giving me a headache. For a moment, the movement stops, giving me a reprieve, which is shattered when the giant monster shoves its hand into a large bag and drops Elan and me into the center, swinging within the material.
The dark fabric completely blocks my view, especially when the monster seals the opening shut and swings the bag. The uncomfortable feeling of floating through the air comes to an abrupt halt when we slam into something hard and warm. The monster must have tossed us over its shoulder in the sack. My assumptions are confirmed as we sway roughly from side to side, swinging out then slamming into something solid again. My headache grows, along with additional bruises as I continually slam against the hard surface, sometimes unlucky enough to be squashed under Elan’s form.
Elan grimaces. Sorry. This is uncomfortable enough for me, but at least when you collide with me, your weight isn’t unbearable.
I groan, gritting my teeth, bracing myself as we swing out, and Elan’s body pummels me again, squashing me against the monster’s back. My vision seems blurry inside the dim enclosure, and I feel like I want to pass out. A slight depression creeps up on me. Here I am, trapped again. I was going to find out ways to learn more magic and make it stronger. Instead, I’ve been captured by a giant monster, and I can't do anything about it. My magic isn’t big or strong enough to help protect me, Elan, or Thor.
My thoughts trail off to Thor again as sadness encloses my heart. I hope the monster didn’t hit him too hard, and lethal magic hasn’t filled its scratch, as with Elan's injuries. The sack enveloping us swings from side to side, and I wonder why this monster hasn't tried to kill me. I don’t understand why it’s carrying us.
Elan groans.
“What is it?”
This bag is made out of fabric, right?
“I believe so. Why?”
No matter how much I try, my talons won’t cut it.
I roll my head back in defeat. “It must be tainted with magic.”
Elan huffs, and hot air fills the sack. That would be the only explanation. These talons have cut through many things stronger than a simple piece of fabric.
The movement changes, and the swinging motion shortens for a while, turning my headache into motion sickness. I clamp my mouth shut, willing my rising stomach contents to settle. At least Elan isn’t being slammed into me. Minutes seem to turn into hours as we swing smoothly from side to side. Unable to see anything to keep my mind occupied, my eyes droop with weariness, and my mind drifts into vagueness, eventually giving in to the pull of sleep.
Nightmares riddle every strand of a dream, carrying with them my concern over Thor and what happened to him, the future of Asgard, and what will become of Elan and me. Eventually, a peace takes over my dreams, only to be jerked away when a warm breeze brushes against my face. At first, I think Elan has expelled a hot breath over me until I open my eyes. Elan is facing the opposite direction, her scales glowing a deep orange-red. My eyes widen with fascination that quickly turns to dread as I scan our surroundings. The bag has fallen away, revealing a landscape made in my worst nightmare. I didn’t know a place like that existed in the land of the living.
“Am I dead?” The words were a whisper tickling my circled lips.
Elan bends to look at me, her golden eyes glowing eerily with red. Nope. This is definitely happening.
Bile leaks into my mouth. A dark sky looms overhead, smothering ominous tall black mountains dripping with waterfalls of burning orange lava. Only the orange embers' glow illuminates the sky and surrounding land—arid, rocky ground, more mountainous than flat, with glowing orange rivers.
Residential structures are cut into the largest mountains in the distance, with lava waterfalls falling from all sides. A gust of hot breeze brushes my face, and I back up to Elan, pressing my body against her scales, taking comfort in their hard spikiness.