My stomach knots, the cold chilling through me still.
Giants and battles? Not my definition of funny.
30
THOR
I stand in the giants’ village center, beside a campfire where they sat until a few moments ago, and stare in disbelief at Artemis.
For somebody who struggled with her footing in the mountains, she has no problems jumping from rock to rock and even roof to roof as she targets the ugly fuckers bearing down on her. Fierce giants? These guys howl and behave as if they’re mortally wounded when an arrow pierces their skin; she doesn’t even need to go for their eyes.
Thwack.
An arrow sails over my head and hits my lumbering opponent in the cheek. Fine, but in a face that big and ugly, it isn’t easy to miss. It’s a while since I’ve been up close and personal with the stinking creatures, and I’d forgotten how foul that smell is and how disgusting they look. Three times my size, four times that of a mortal man, their half-naked bodies are covered in rags, revealing muscles to match their stature. This puts the ugly gray creatures at a disadvantage as they lumber around with maces, or bare fists, as weapons.
None have come close enough to look me in the face yet, and I attempt to move behind Triton for cover, hammer ready beneath my cloak. Dion’s chosen the direct route, charging through the middle of the town and marketplace, tripping over chickens and dogs as he goes. Triton swears and hurries after him, and when he strides after Dion I’m left exposed. Artemis yells she’ll distract them and to keep going, but what do I do?
Protect her?
I forge forward to beat Eros and his crew, who I know aren’t far behind us.
The giant howls like a baby as he plucks the arrow from his face and turns to find Artemis, who’s ducked behind piled-up wooden boxes.
She can find her own way; I’ve underestimated her skill, because based on the last five minutes she’ll be home and dry before any of us. No giant has even gotten close.
My arm is wrenched half out of its socket as a monstrous hand curls around my bicep. I yelp in pain and drag my hammer from beneath my cloak before smacking it onto the hand with a bone-crushing sound. Now that howl beats the ones Artemis has caused.
But my cover is blown. The male giant reaches out for me again with his calloused hands and shouts my name. I peer up from beneath my hood to see him pointing at me, and a shitload of giants heading my way.
“Thor!” The sound reverberates from the buildings, the simple word halting every town member in his or her tracks. “Thor!”
“Guys!” I yell. “Some help, please!”
Asking for help chokes me, but I’m outnumbered as the creatures converge on me. A barrage of arrows whistle through the air and land in hands and faces, slowing down their advance. I swing my hammer around, left to right, smashing faces and breaking limbs. Giants fall at my feet and I jump over them, heading the bastards off instead of them approaching me.
I catch sight of Dion in the fray, slicing at skin with his deadly spear, blood spilling onto the snowy ground. Triton is close by and I wince as his trident’s prongs spike into the neck of a giant close by.
Where’s Artemis?
I survey the town, continuing to smack enemies from side to side with my hammer without looking, and spot her sniping from a nearby roof, pulling arrow after arrow from her quiver with a speed I’ve never seen. Between barrages, she deftly leaps onto another roof, pausing to calculate her best move before either shooting again or continuing her high pathway.
She’s further across the town than I am, and nobody can touch her. I pick up my pace and wade through fallen giants.
And this trial suddenly makes sense.
If the Jotunheim residents wanted their violent brethren culled, they couldn’t have found a better way than sending us on a Trial through here. Because that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Perspiration drips from my hair into my eyes and I wipe a sleeve across my face. Blood and dirt smears the cloth as I keep walking. My belt remains tight around my waist, adding an extra punch to my hammer’s deadly strike, knocking the giants down like pins.
But Artemis is still ahead.
I exchange looks with Triton and Dion as the last of the giants lumber away in fear or fall to the ground. Yes, we work together, but now we’re at the point where only one of us can win.
Dion pants and bends over, sliding his hands along his legs. “Trial of strength. I’m not gonna win so you might as well go.”
I stare down at the bodies and kick one.
He gestures. “It’s fine. I think they gave up. I’m right behind you.”
“If you’re sure,” replies Triton. His hair straggles around his face and there’s a large gash on his arm seeping blood across the cloth. A giant beside him moves and he stomps on its head.
“Go. Artemis might need help.”
“Or win,” I mutter. I slam my hammer into the giant’s hand grabbing my calf, and it drops away.
“Getting out of here in one piece is more important than who wins,” snaps Dion. “This is fucking insane. There are dozens of them.”
Running footsteps crunch across the ground behind us and an unscathed Eros runs past. He turns and winks. “Thanks, guys!”
“Yeah. Nice work.” When Adonis passes too, I’m a split-second from hurling my hammer at their heads.
“They hung back and waited for us to do the donkey work,” I snarl. “Fuck this.”
I follow as they weave through the bodies, Adonis shooting the odd arrow at a moving giant. Ones we already took down.
Rage blinds me as I charge after them and when I reach Eros’s sneering face, I slam my shoulder into his side. With an ‘oof’ sound, he falls to the ground. Adonis glances back and keeps running.
So much for their alliance.
Triton reaches my side and I urge him on. The town’s edge leads to a small pathway, where the judge’s tent has been posted. How long? Five-minute run? Artemis’s small figure leaves the roof of a building and she lands squarely on the ground, footing sure.
She turns her head and waves as Adonis reaches her. “Come on! He’s catching me—”
A figure steps out from behind one of the last buildings and a distracted Artemis doesn’t have time to evade him. I halt in shock as a giant grabs her around the waist like she’s a doll and lifts her up with a roar.
A second giant steps out and seizes Adonis.
“Fuck!” I half-scream, preparing to call down a storm. “Triton!”
“On it.”
A loud roar echoes around us, a sound from the sea like nothing else heard on Earth. As the ground rumbles beneath us, I struggle to steady myself. At the sound of Triton’s horn, the giant drops Artemis to the ground from several feet high and covers his ears. Adonis lands on the floor too as the other giant shrinks away from the noise.
Face to the sky, I chant the words that will bring the storm and focus on directing where it will hit. Bolts strike the ground around the giants as lighting arcs from the sky. The bolt hits one giant square in the chest and knocks him several meters backward, away from my allies. With a scream, the second turns and flees in the direction of the nearest hill.
Pointless move, because I throw my hammer after him. I hit the bastard in the head and hold my hand out. Mjolnir’s cool metal handle hits my palm as the weapon returns to me.
I grab Triton’s arm with my other hand. “Artemis.”
I don’t think I’ve moved so fast in my life as those few meters towards her. My heart bangs in my chest. She can’t be injured. Not Artemis.
She’s lying on the floor, still clutching her bow. Her face is scratched and hair tangled around her face, looking every part the wild girl we joke she is. “Got the bastard in the eye,” Artemis says in a weak voice.
I crouch down and run my hand along her leg. “Anything broken?”
“No. I’m okay.” She turns to push herself up on hands and knees.
“That was quite a fall,” remarks Dion as he catches us up.