During their travel, it came to Eloise’s attention that Jörmun enjoyed long baths. He took his time, laying submerged in hot water more than herself and Maddie combined. However, while this didn’t matter much as a general thing, she decided to use it as an advantage to talk to her friend. They didn’t really have any privacy while Jörmun was around; he listened to and peeked at everything.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Maddie, but I kept on being sidetracked,” Eloise started as she sat on the edge of the bed, at her friend’s side.

“It sounds serious,” she replied, looking a bit concerned by the tone of the discussion.

“I suppose it is,” she gave her words a small shrug. “Do you believe Jörmungandr is lying to us?”

“I have no doubt,” Maddie snorted with a short laughter. “Is there any particular bit that’s troubling you?”

“Everything?!” Eloise laughed nervously. She didn’t even know where to begin. All seemed so distant and tangled ever since they met him, that she was starting to become confused in her head about what was real and what was her speculation; her fake scenarios went incredibly well with his carefully crafted lies. He would’ve been delighted to receive the news as a compliment.

“Well, he’s an oddball, that’s for sure,” Maddie started on a confident tone. “I still can’t tell how he’s doing all the things that he’s doing. It’s so difficult to accept that he could possibly be from another world, you know?”

“I know. It’s… All so confusing. My mind is feeling mushy just when I start to think about it and try to make sense of it,” Eloise massaged her temples, while a frown busied her forehead.

“However, last night he wasn’t as bad. Less bickering, less annoying.”

“Because he offered you the dress you longed for?” she closed her eyes and shook her head with a hopeless smile for her friend. “Or because he spun you around for so long when he danced with you that you completely lost your train of thoughts?”

“Well, those may have had a word in it,” she agreed with a chuckle, “however, there has to be some truth in all of this. If not, then why would we still follow him around?”

“Since you mentioned that- I actually don’t know why we agreed to join him in this journey to begin with? What if he was all about tricking us from the start? I feel like we were blindly tempted into this adventure.”

Maddie shrugged. She questioned herself the same at the beginning, but slowly gave up on the thought and carried on. “If it’s of any comfort, I have a pepper spray.”

“I am sure that will save us from being transformed into rodents or something else,” Eloise rolled her eyes. Whatever Jörmun’s doing was, they surely fell for it, as they couldn’t seem to see themselves out anytime soon.

---

To none of Eloise’s liking, time was passing faster than they were able to travel. It was clear to her that unless they teleported from their final destination back to their apartment, there was no way they could make it in a timely manner for the exams, as it was initially agreed on.

“We hardly see the sun anymore these days. Soon enough we will freeze our bones to death,” Eloise said on a grave tone as they stopped before the remains of an old viking church. The building still held its shape well on the outside, but the indoor space was empty and long forgotten; a husk.

“Jörmun are you sure we are even headed the right direction or transforming us in walking ice cubes had been your plan all along?” Maddie asked, feeling a shiver cross her body as they stopped; not even all the layers of clothing could keep them warm for too long.

Jörmun on the other hand wasn’t affected in the slightest. He seemed to be doing just fine, save for his cheeks, which were matching the red shade of his hair.

“We’re close. If this confirms to be the church we’ve been looking for, there is just one more day of travel or two until our final destination.”

“If it confirms? Are you telling me that we walked all the way here, today, only to have a casual check?” Eloise snapped. She was cold and tired. She was regretting more and more embarking on the journey. She felt her friend’s eyes on her, but no sign from her brother, whose attention she was trying to grasp at in first place.

Eloise frowned and walked forth towards Jörmun, snatching him by the sleeve and interrupting him from studying the wall; he had been staring at it for a solid few minutes.

“Answer me now or I take Maddie and head back home. Everything has been strange enough anyway and neither of us can wrap our minds much around what is really your trick. We’re running out of food and places to spend our night into. I won’t even get started on the weather,” she ended her rant engulfed in her own steaming breath against the freezing air. Her heart jumped when she felt Maddie’s hands on her shoulders, attempting at a comforting gesture.

“We will be there soon,” Jörmun said in a calm voice. He then swiftly moved out from Eloise’s hand grip and resumed his wall study. He touched it in the hope that it will light up some hidden runes, but just as he readied himself to chanter silently a spell, a loud creak of the wooden floor got his attention. He could tell the girls were still nearby; he could see their silhouettes in the corner of his eye. There was someone else with them; someone new.

“You are one slippery snake, Jörmungandr,” the voice echoed like a distant thunder through the old church. While Eloise and Maddie could only presume who that was, Jörmun had no doubt that the one standing now in the doorframe was none other than Thor.

Thor made a few steps forth and watched the members of the group in turns; he studied them from beneath his low brow and grunted displeased.

“Thor? Is that you?” Jörmun narrowed his eyes, pretending to study the tall silhouette of the freshly arrived visitor; it was towering well above him, in both height and width. “Oh, but of course it’s you!” he smiled with delight while darting a quick look to Mjolnir. “Absolutely unmistakable,” he pointed graciously at the hammer with an open palm.

“You are not even close to tricking me, silver tongue,” Thor swung Mjolnir, locking it in place under Jörmun’s chin. He smirked as he caught a trace of fear cross the other’s eyes.

“Trick you?” he barked a short laughter while taking a step back. He touched his chin as if checking if it was still there. “I was only taken aback by your imposing self! Not that I ever thought of you to be a lesser version of yourself or any other God, but oh my. You surely grew mightier than before, didn’t you?”

“Just as much as you grew in the despicable likeness of your father. If I didn’t know he was still trapped, with venom dripping in his eyes, I would be keen on believing that you’re no more than a disguise of his.”

Jörmun’s smile flinched slightly at the sound of Thor’s words. He could feel the rage building up, but he couldn’t manifest anyhow; not while Eloise and Maddie were still there. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea at all to measure strength against Odin’s son.

“You know, Thor. For a man such as yourself…”

“A God…” he muttered the correction, while his fingers gripped tighter around the hammer’s handle.

“Oh, yes. Of course,” he nodded slowly as if offering Thor time to process it. “For a God such as yourself… I am shocked with your lack of manners. Walking in like this, not even greeting or introducing yourself to the ladies here,” he gestured towards his two travel companions. He wondered if Thor knew about Hel sharing the space with them.

“I have no time for formalities. I am here to end you once and for all,” he raised his hammer, as his silhouette grew even bigger over Jörmun’s cowering one. “It was Odin’s mistake that he didn’t put an end to you when he had the chance. I will not repeat my father’s mistake,” he frowned deeply as he swung Mjolnir and aimed for Jörmun’s head.

Thor had been however slow enough in his motion to give the slithering one enough time to dodge the hit. He end up with his hammer stuck within the old wooden wall, while the girls, urged from behind by Jörmun, were running towards the doorless entrance.

“You are not going anywhere!” Thor’s voice shook the church from its very foundation. He pulled out Mjolnir from the wall so violently, that it broke the entire structure of the building, which caused it to collapse all over him.

“He’s going to kill us!” Maddie screamed, feeling her body shake uncontrollably. She stared in panic at Eloise, who looked even paler than usual. “I don’t want to die,” she cried on, taking a tight grip of her friend’s arm.

“Here. Have this,” Jörmun took off his long coat and threw it quickly over the shoulders of both girls. He murmured a spell and luckily he had the chance of finishing it before Eloise’s slap came in contact with his face, causing him to snap out of focus, confused by the gesture.

“We’re on the brink of dying and all you give us is your coat?! We don’t need your stupid coat!” Eloise finally broke the silence she fell in ever since Thor showed up. She was absolutely enraged by her brother's approach. All he could think of was to cover them from the cold?

“Hush,” he urged her. “I have enchanted it just now and you are both invisible to him. Head back in town. I will catch up with you later,” he added and made a quick sign with his hands, as if whooshing them away.

“He’s coming,” Maddie said as soon as she eyed Thor emerging from the collapsed church. Without thinking twice she grabbed Eloise and descended down the hill, while doing her best to keep the coat hanging on both of them. Truth being told she didn’t believe that Jörmun would make it back in town; she could only hope that Thor’s wrath won’t be coming after them as well.