Chapter 8: Mysteries

The room was nice enough. It was well lit, had a bed, and even a small attached bathroom with running water in a sink and a toilet built out of the same cold stone as the walls. There was even a wooden seat with a lid attached to the toilet. A large window in the main room overlooked the quiet castle courtyard outside.

A window that didn't open.

She knew, logically, that she wasn't going to run out of air, but still. Her chest kept getting tight anytime she though about being in such a small room. The few times she had opened the door, just a crack, a helpful knight had been there to poke their armored head inside and ask if she needed anything. So, it wasn't like she could just leave the door open to the hallway like she used to back at Havamal's.

Naturally, this meant Rebecka couldn't sleep.

So, she busied herself with a mystery.

She had personally re-packed everything in her go-bag while still in the Great Hall as Quincey, Steve, and Sigyn were shown out of the room by a group of knights. None of her belongings were missing. The food she hadn't seen on the table had been stowed in the bottom of he bag the whole time along with her loose shotgun shells. The only thing not accounted for were the rounds she had fired at the knights when she had first encountered them. She picked up the fully loaded backpack and shotgun easily with one hand, arm straight, something she hadn't previously been able to do given the thing weighed over thirty-five pounds.

"Hmm..."

It felt lighter than her jacket.

She sat the bag back down on the bed and started to unpack it a third time. Carefully placing everything where she could account for it. A full moon, trailing a relatively small cloud of debris behind it, shown through the clear glass panes. Which reminded her the window didn't open and made her chest feel tight.

Why are you examining your supplies again? You've accounted for everything multiple times, Aettartangi said.

"It doesn't make sense. This shit isn't light but it feels like the bag's empty," Rebecka explained as she stared down at her belongings.

Oh.

The reply was short but came with the distinct feeling from Aettartangi that reminded her of a child looking away because they'd done something without permission.

Rebecka pursed her lips and frowned. "What did you do?"

I modified your body for combat when the anomalous entity appeared, Aettartangi replied.

"What?"

Specifically, I greatly increased the efficiency of your musculature and bones.

"What the hel?! You're saying I could've crushed Steve when I hugged him or something?" Rebecka barked.

No. I prevented you from applying enough pressure to harm Steve. I promised I would not harm your friends in any way, Aettartangi said, nervously, while still attempting to keep up the robotic delivery.

Rebecka paced back and forth, which once again reminded her of just how little room she had. Then, she threw her hands in the air and walked back to the bed to stare at her stuff so she wouldn't remember the room's small size. She took in a deep breath and let it back out, staring at her little wooden figure of Loki next to the three other gods.

"I don't look any different than normal," she said.

Modifications were not cosmetic.

"Can you undo them? Make me normal again?"

There was a pause before Aettartangi said, You agreed to slay Yggdrasil.

"I will, but not right this moment. We haven't even got shit ready to leave yet. We've got to get more information about where we are, what's going on, and where we need to go. Do you even know where Yggdrasil is?"

Another pause.

"Well, do you? You were there when it was sealed up, right?"

I was present, yes. Ingimund and I were not fully synced and there was much interference due to magical entities in the area.

Rebecka nodded. "You don't remember."

My histories are up to date. I remember everything.

"But?"

But...I have no point of reference as to my current location versus were Yggdrasil was when it was sealed. Not to mention it has been over one thousand years and recent temporal spacial anomalies, like the one that brought you and Havamal's to Utgard, have likely altered the terrain. Even if that were not the case, Ingimund passed me down to his children, and them to their children. No one has synced with me until now. I have been in low power mode, passively observing things.

"And eating people," Rebecka said.

I needed an energy source, Aettartagi replied quickly.

Rebecka rolled her eyes, then shut them and breathed deeply again, letting out a small laugh. "Okay, so, you only occasionally ate people, but it was often enough for them to use you as a purity testing machine."

Aettartangi didn't reply.

Rebecka couldn't shake the feeling she'd hit a nerve. Which was fascinating on it's own because she also knew Aettartangi didn't have any nerves itself.

"Fine, whatever. Can you just, reset my muscles back to normal so I don't worry about accidentally punching a hole in the wall in my sleep or something?"

She suddenly felt off balance, just enough to tip forward before she caught herself.

Modifications complete, it said.

"That's it?"

Yes.

Rebecka felt Aettartangi was mad at her. A strange ghost of an emotion in her gut and the back of her mind. All she had done was point out that it ate people, which it didn't seem to have a problem with when it killed the skinhead.

She shook her head again and started packing her supplies back into her bag. Everything felt heavier than it had when he had laid things out the last time. She took that as a sign Aettartangi hadn't been lying. The new problem, however, was the mystery had been solved. Aetty had messed with her muscles, which had made her stronger than normal. She wondered if it could do anything for her claustrophobia because there was no way in hel she was going to get any sleep in this room.

You are not tired, Aettartangi said as Rebecka put the last of her gear in her bag.

"Yeah, right. That's because this room scares the shit out of me," Rebecka admitted.

No.

"No? Believe me, I can admit when I'm scared of something. Small spaces like this terrify me, Aetty."

No. That is not why you're not tired.

She moved the bag off the bed. It was beginning to feel like Aettartangi was a child with no point of reference for how to interact with someone or behave.

"What did you do?"

I am sharing my energy with you, so you no longer require sleep, and we can travel to destroy Yggdrasil more quickly.

Rebecka's stomach turned due Aettartangi's power source. She really didn't like the idea that she, herself, was feeding off the dead skinhead. Her heart pounded in her ears and she started to shake, which resolved itself unnaturally quickly.

Host vital signs normalized.

"Don't you fucking dare interrupt my panic attack without my permission you piece of shit," Rebecka spat.

Apologies. It appears we have 'gotten off on the wrong foot' and as a Human, sleep is important to normalize bodily functions.

"Well, yeah. Sleep is important but that's not why I started to freak out. You're sharing your power with me? That guy? You ate him and-"

I immediately converted him to energy, Aettartangi interrupted. Nothing remains of him. You are not eating him yourself. I am the only one who is guilty.

Guilty? Rebecka thought.

Could it be Aettartangi felt bad about killing someone?

"Look, Aetty, yeah. Like you said, we've gotten off on the wrong foot. This is gonna take me time to get used to."

We do not have time.

"I get that."

You should rest.

"What?"

Rebecka felt a little dizzy again, which made her stumble back toward the bed. Her eyelids became heavy. She tried to slow herself as she fell backward, barely feeling the impact as her head hit the edge of the wooden bed frame before she collapsed onto the cold stone floor of the tiny room.

***

Ingimund hefted the axe into the heavy leather sheath on his back. Even though he was not touching it with his flesh he could still hear its words as it spoke to him.

Magic detected, scanners experiencing interference.

"Yes, my friend. There is much magic here," he replied.

He stood on a rocky cliff overlooking a valley filled with the giant twisted roots of Yggdrasil that gleamed in the morning sun. The old stories said the great World Tree only had three roots, but if it did certainly they were long enough to twist around the world many times over. The mass stretched as far as his eyes could see. He wasn't even sure where the main trunk of the tree would be found, or if he could reach it.

Unknown number of anomalies in vicinity, Aettartangi said.

"We shall slay them all," Ingimund replied confidently.

A strong hand gripped his shoulder. He looked up behind him to see Thor, his deep red beard was made from braids studded by gold, silver, and bone beads wrapped from the back of his head in front of his neck below his bare face. He grinned down at his friend, his short handled hammer held by his other hand, rested on his own shoulder.

"It still talking to you?"

"It is. Aettartangi says there are many enemies here," Ingimund replied. He itched for battle and knew his blade sought Yggdrasil but the roots themselves would not be enough to sate its hunger. It had told him before that they must reach the core.

"Good, good. Today will be a good day, then," Thor said with a grin. "Father and Freyja will help distract the hoards as you and I work our way to the tree to destroy it."

"And the army?"

"They will be assisting us all taking care of the hoards it will throw at us," Thor replied. "Just as we planned, my friend."

Ingimund nodded. It was a good plan. One not only blessed by the gods themselves, but written by them. Odin himself had a hand in plotting their method of attack. He had to trust in the gods and their power, just as he had to trust in Aettartangi to become whatever weapon he needed.

Still...

"You're certain this plan will work?" Ingimund asked.

He hated that he had any doubts, but they remained. The distance from where they stood to the center of the tree seemed impossible to traverse. Even with Thor's help, how were they all supposed to make it down the cliff face into the valley?

"Father assured me it would work...and...he has never been wrong when it comes to predicting the future," Thor replied.

The god's hesitation wasn't encouraging.

"I'll bet my left tit that his plan works," Thor added quickly. "It's not like I need either of them, ha ha!"

Ingimund half expected Thor to slap him on the back after the joke, but the god didn't do so. Probably because that's where Aettartangi was seated. Though it may not be able to kill a god as powerful as Thor, it surely wouldn't feel good if the axe was still hungry for blood. Ingimund joined his friend, the both of them laughing together on he edge of the cliff.

Warning: Magic detected, scanners experiencing interference.

"Yes, we know. There are many magical enemies here hiding in those roots," Ingimund replied.

Severe warning: Magic detected. Seek shelter immediately.

The blade had never issued a 'severe' anything before, much less told him to hide. He happened to turn toward the valley just in time to see a point of light in the distance that grew into a giant white sphere, eating up a large portion of the tree roots. The light abruptly stopped, and with it the ground shook as the massive roots fell to the valley floor after being cut.

"My gods," Ingimund said.

"Those assholes were supposed to wait," Thor hissed.

He looked up at the god. "What?"

Thor shook his head, then patted Ingimund on his shoulder. "Nothing, it's nothing. I believe you and I and the army are due for battle soon. We should wake the others."

Ingimund looked back to the mysterious glowing sphere that now covered much of the valley. It had to be powerful. He wasn't sure he could break through it. Whatever magic it was had cut clean through the great metal roots, which had begun to crumble into piles of dust. Thousands of creatures shook off that dust as they burst out like so many angry hornets.

It was time to fight.