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Chapter 28

Chapter 28
It was early morning when they all met in the throne room. Seraphina dragging her feet, while Cephera pushed her along from behind. The elder twin was never a morning person. "I want to thank you all for joining me." Thor told them as his morning greeting. This was the day they would all take a trip into the forests to fight ferocious beasts. "I hope you're all just as excited as I am."
"I'm not awake enough to be excited." Seraphina grumbled. Cephera elbowed her. She knew her sister had been very excited about going and that it was just the early hour making her cranky.
"Best wake up now before we arrive. You'll need to be alert for the dangers that lay ahead." Thor told her. He spoke like a father might tell a scary tale to his children. It made Cephera giggle.
They took horses to the very edge of the forest path before dismounting and tying the steeds on until they returned. Further and further they ventured into the forest thick with bushes, tress and varies other plant life. Animals of all sorts sang around them, along with grunts of other, not so cute animals.
Half the day had past and they had not seen one thing considered worthy enough to slay. The mountains were situated just ahead and everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Between them and the mountains entrance in the distance, was a marsh, and in that marsh were lizard like reptiles with long fangs and sharp claws.
"Dangerous enough for you?" Hogun asked pulling out his blades.
"These things? They are nothing." Thor boasted and stepped onto the soggy grasses holding out his hammer. His footsteps alerted the beasts and with hiss' coming from all angles the group found themselves surrounded. Cephera jumped back and away from the first one to try and bite her. A foul smell issuing from inside its jaws.
"Watch out for their spit." Fandral yelled pulled off his coat and flinging it to the ground in a messy heap of goo. Cephera watched another spit hitting a tree, and the tree began to sizzle and wither. Dodging another claw swipe Cephera stuck close to her sister. Loki had struck a few with his daggers, but their hides were thick. The knifes barley made a scratch.
Thor was faring no better. His hammer only served to move them, but once again their hides protected them like armor. Thor pummelled his hammer into the ground and the marsh erupted into the air, sending a lot of the creatures up and onto their backs, where they struggled to right themselves.
"Perhaps, I was wrong." Thor called. "Retreat," he said backing out of the marsh and smacking back more and more of the animals as they pursued them. They all ran full tilt to rid themselves of the beasts. Passing a large spread of trees, buzzing made Cephera look up. Above them were a dozen or more Stingers nests. She caught sight of Loki lighting a flame in his hand, also looking up.
"Loki I don't think that's a good idea!" Cephera called over her shoulder at Loki catching his thoughts by his actions. He aimed for the large Stinger's hives above. He ignored her, throwing the flame. The fire lit up the hives and out came the large bugs the size of her hand. Immediately, they went for the large reptiles chasing them. Loki turned to her as he caught up to them.
"And you doubted me." He said giving her a disapproving look. She watched as the reptilian beasts hit the ground stunned and then she grabbed Loki's tunic and began to run faster. The stingers had turned their sights on them.
"Bad idea... very bad idea." She cried as she took off at a sprint. Thor, Seraphina, and the warriors three had a head start with her and Loki behind them.
"How was I suppose to know they'd come after us afterward!" He said irritated.
"You burned their homes!" Cephera yelled. She could hear the loud buzzing gaining on them. "They have nothing better to do now." She told him.
"I didn't see you coming up with a better plan." He chided.
"At least I didn't make it worse." She retorted.
"Quiet the both of you." Seraphina snapped jumping over a large rock, and taking a second to glare back at them.
"I have an idea." Thor declared stopping suddenly causing Cephera to slam into his back. She hit the ground on her ass with a thud. Thor turned and raised his hammer. He still had no clue of all the things it could do, but he seemed determined to find out. Using his concentration he called on a deeper power. Cephera watched his eyebrows knit together as he attempted to draw on some kind of energy.
Meanwhile, the bugs where catching up fast. "Thor...," Loki warned backing up a step.
Thor didn't answer, he continued his concentrating until the skies grew dark and thunder clapped above. The wind picked up and before they could find out what Thor had in store the Stingers caught up.
***
Cephera cringed as ointment was rubbed along her arms and forehead. The bugs really packed a punch with their stringers. Along all their bodies were large red boils that oozed a yellow puss. Thor's face was swollen out all over, almost a size to equal his biceps.
Sif was stood peering down at them all, smirking. "Had fun did you?" She teased them. Seraphina growled, though the sound was half buried under her swollen neck. Luckily for them the venom was not used for killing, but incapacitating. Heimdall had seen the commotion and had sent guards to help them before anything, like death, could occur.
None of them had escaped the bugs attack. "I was certain it would work." Thor mumbled. He was speaking about his attack. Apparently, he had to perfect it. "When we get better, we shall go again." Thor declared as loud as his mouth would allow without messaging up his speech. There was exchanged looks, but in all honesty they all wanted another shot at venturing into the mountain they had been chased away from.
***
Thor meant his words that day. Again they found themselves deep in the Asgardian forests, making their way toward the mountain. They took a different trail from the one before, avoiding the Stingers, and reptiles nests. They made it to the open face in the large cliff side. It spread ten times higher than themselves.
"I hope this goes better than last time." Volstagg commented looking around.
"As long as Loki doesn't catch hives on fire we'll be fine." Seraphina replied gaining a glare from Loki.
"Had Thor not stopped to play at his new tricks we would have gotten away." Loki interjected.
"Had it worked I would have saved us all." Thor puffed out his chest in defence.
"Can we stop bickering and just go in," Cephera said dancing on her feet. She wasn't sure why, but the mystery of it all excited her despite the past dangers. Her sister caught her gaze and rolled her eyes. Everyone moved into the gapping mouth like entrance.
"Loki, light us up." Thor ordered. There was a small irritated noise from Loki before a fireball lit in his hand. Cephera mimicked him to make the light spread further. Standing at opposite sides of the group they made their way through the wide tunnel.
Nothing but rock and an odd smell surrounded them. "What is that smell?" Fandral asked scrunching up his nose and coughing. He covered his mouth with his gloved hand.
"Smells like death." Seraphina replied also attempting to wave the smell away.
"Perhaps, it's a sign that we need to leave." Loki responded looking about. The walls around them were covered in thick goop. A slick, greyish substance. Cephera was tempted to touch it, but didn't.
"I think something lives in here." Volstagg pointed to some kind of drag marks along the floor.
"Or something came this way." Hogun added.
"I have a bad feeling." Cephera muttered looking over at Loki who gave a half a nod.
"Shush!" Thor demanded stopping. "Did you hear that?" He asked. Cephera hadn't heard anything. They waited in silence listening for whatever it was Thor thought he heard. That was when the floor and walls began to quake. Everyone braced themselves as the tremors grew worse, until finally a very large, one-eyed Ogre barrelled to the path in front of them.
Looking up, way up they all stepped back. "RUN!" Seraphina yelled. No one argued everyone began running. Something that big, people didn't just kill inside an enclosed mountain. They ran as he roared. Reaching the outside Thor turned and threw his hammer hard. He knocked the Ogre in the face and did nothing more than make him scratch the spot like a tick had bit him.
"I think you need to learn more about your hammer before we attempt to take him on." Fandral warned Thor. Thor narrowed his eyes with determination. He swung his hammer stubbing the Ogre's toe. The Ogre howled and jumped making the whole ground shake and split open.
Thor backed away and everyone followed as they began to run once more. Once the Ogre came to his sense he began to pursue them. Not watching where they were going they ran through the marsh from before, but at the sight of the Ogre even the reptiles moved out of the way, and those that didn't were tread on with a sickening crack.
The monsters massive steps, mixed with its ability to make everything shake gave it the advantage to catch up faster. Cephera cried out as she was grabbed up by the ogre's massive hand. It literally curve around her from her shoulders passed her feet. "Let her go." Thor warned him, but the troll simply looked down at Thor and snorted causing a gooey substance to shoot from its nose and cover her friends below.
"Ewww. Why can't we ever get out of these situations without having something happen," Fandrel said flicking his arms to rid himself of the slime. Loki was also attempting the same thing and Cephera was laughing. She was laughing so hard the ogre had turned his one huge eye to her. After a moment the ogre began to mimic her laughter, making the ground shake knocking her friends down into the slime covered ground.
Tears were in her eyes she was laughing so hard. Oddly the ogre's grip on her slackened and she had to hold onto his thumb to keep from falling to her death. He opened his hand palm up, and she made it safely into it. He looked at her carefully, squinting almost. His other hand coming up, and his finger patting her on the head rather hard. "Ow." She cringed as she was forced to bend her knees under the seemingly kind gesture.
"Funny little bug," the ogre said drooling slightly. He then bent down and let her step off his hand.
When she was off, he straightened, turned, and left with the ground quaking with each footstep. Looking back at her friends she tried to contain her laughter. "Think it's funny do you?" Seraphina said first.
"A little." Cephera admitted.
Loki stepped forward and before Cephera could fathom his next move he had wrapped his arms around her in a gross, slippery, sticky hug. "Oh ewww. No!" She said and suddenly everyone took his lead and she was smothered in a group hug of slime. "I hate you all." She whined when Hogun wiped the back of his hand across her face.
She couldn't complain too much, at least they were all laughing instead of trampled or eaten. After the group hug they decided to go home. "This is a mighty hammer, but I think Fandral is right. I need more practice to learn how to wield it with proper power and skill." Thor admitted turning the handle in his grasp to look at his gift.
"One day brother, you'll take down that Ogre." Loki told him smirking.
"No! He was so cute." Cephera protested.
"Perhaps, you'd like to ask it out on a date. I'm sure the slime would make things much easier." Loki teased.
"Ewww. I know what that meant and you are disgusting." Cephera growled pushing him.
"I'm not the one defending the mindless beast, calling it cute."
"But he was. He didn't hurt us, why kill it!" Cephera frowned. She didn't like the idea, in fact now that she thought about it, killing for fun... well it wasn't fun.
"I will only attack it if it should attack and try to eat me, how about that." Thor bargained. She smiled and nodded.
"Wonderful, Cephera the advocate for all animals in need with no voice to cry pity." Loki shook his head. He clearly thought she was being silly.
"Only the beasts that don't hurt us first." She retorted.
"I hate to tell you this princess, but most beasts see us only as food." Fandral told her.
"I know, but that Ogre was just chasing us from his home, and he didn't eat us." She protested.
"You're way too soft," Seraphina said, "but it's something I love about you." She added patting Cephera's still sticky hair. Cephera smiled. Maybe she should leave adventures to the boys and her sister from now on. They seemed to have the guts for it. She hadn't really thought it through when she agreed, killing just wasn't her thing.

Notes

Comments

@fraychan
Then I have done my job well. :p

Yasumi Yasumi
6/15/15

Your cliff hangers wound me D:

fraychan fraychan
6/12/15

@fraychan
Keep that adrenaline pumping, still a lot to come.

Yasumi Yasumi
5/14/15

Oh god I can't even describe how happy this chapter made me. I'm feeling a slight adrenaline rush haha

fraychan fraychan
5/12/15

@fraychan
I agree, things have could been so much different if things had just come to light sooner.

Yasumi Yasumi
5/7/15