Chase spoke to him from the Stockholm location with Gar and Bonnie on either side of her. “Yes. I saw it myself. Nova gave this Eye of Fenrir to Midgard a long time ago and told him to hide it. Now, Nova is looking for it. And, trust me, if he gets it, bad things will happen.”
“Fine. I’ll try to get him. But you know Midgard really only paid attention to Nova.”
Chase said, “If he’s a problem, get me on his comm.”
“You think you can convince him?”
“I don’t know, but I will try.”
Justin huffed and pressed a button on his tablet, shifting the view screen to footage from Ka’an Dorado. Heroes sat around on rooftops as they cheered on the fight between Midgard and another incarnation of Shadow Krampus. This looked more like a pro-wrestling event, not heroes protecting the world from harm.
“Sheesh, this is getting out of hand.” Justin muttered. He pressed a different button. “Krystal, are you there?”
Her voice came through, with a lot of noise in the background. “Justin, I can barely hear you.” After she said this, he watched Midgard pile-drive Krampus into the city square as the heroes cheered.
Justin waited a moment and then said loudly, “I need to talk to Midgard!”
“You want me to find the local city guards?”
“NO I NEED TO TALK TO MIDGARD!” He bellowed into the comm.
“Oh, uh... that could be a problem.”
Justin stopped, changed the volume output on her end through his computer, and then said, “It is a matter of dire urgency. Get to him.”
“Okay. I’ll try.”
Nova waited while the runestone reacted to the key he had inserted into the face. The etching of Fenrir over a viking boat was a perfect example of the style for the age. He couldn’t help but be amused at the craftsmanship put into this. Slowly, a glow traced the etching, like someone lighting a long fuse.
“Who are you?” A woman rushed down the path.
Nova turned and smiled at her. “Just a tourist.”
“Do not touch that stone... what have you done!? Stabbed a knife into it? This…”
“Go away.” He commanded. “Do not remember anything of me. You were never here.”
She gained a glazed look and walked away.
“Good.”
He continued with his work. Nova tried to figure out how to open it.
“How did he do this?” Nova looked all over it. As his hands ran over the surface of the glowing lines, he felt the power surge in it.
A voice came from the stone. “This stone is impervious to all you do, but answer this riddle to get through. To death, the gods tried to have me put, where the battle their lives I took, know the answer without fail, if you know where they say I bit my tail.”
Nova stood back, “What on earth does that mean?”
The stone repeated, “This stone is impervious to all you do, but answer this riddle to get through. To death, the gods tried to have me put, where the battle their lives I took, know the answer without fail, if you know where they say I bit my tail.”
Nova grew angry. “I don’t have time for riddles and games.” He reached his hand out and a blinding light came from him, but the moment he did this, he grabbed his head and fell to his knees in pain. “What... what is wrong with me?” The pain left his head as he sat there.
The voice of Lady Echidna came to his ears, “My beloved, you aren’t trying to harness your power, now are you?”
“My lady, I only wish to use it to advance your plans.”
“No. You betrayed me once before. I’ll not have this again. Figure this out without using your full strength, or I’ll bind you forever in my dungeon and complete this task on my own.”
“No, do not forsake me, my love. I’ll do as you ask.”
“Good. Now, bring me that eye!” Her voice faded into the distance.
Nova recovered quickly and stood once again before the stone. “So, I must figure this riddle out. Fine, how complicated can it be coming from that oaf?”
“TAKE THAT YOU PATHETIC CHRISTMAS CRACKER!” Midgard, in his massive serpent form, grabbed Krampus from behind and then leaned back, tossing the shadow beast over him and slamming it headfirst into the ground. This time, the Krampus exploded into a black mist and the fight was over. It was night and most of this part of the city was vacant, except for the heroes. They had brought lights in order to shine down on the battle so the viewers could see better. Fortunately, BADGE kept the media from turning this into a global spectacle. Justin figured League Wars was enough entertainment from the heroes, the citizens didn’t need to watch this foolishness.
The crowds cheered, exchanged bets, and left to get refreshments. Midgard strutted around, taking in all the glory.
“WANT TO SEE ME DO IT A FIFTH TIME TONIGHT? HUH!” He egged on the crowds and they grew into a rowdy roar.
Krystal flew up near his head. “No time. You’re needed.”
He batted his giant hand at her, “Go away, gnat!”
She dodged his hand and came up closer. “Look, this is all fun, but they need...” she dodged his hand again.
“BAH! I’M HAVING FUN!”
Krystal recognized a lost cause, so she had to resort to Plan B. She tapped her comm unit, told Justin what to do, and then cast a spell that sent the small video feed from her wrist come as a floating image many times bigger. Chase appeared before Midgard on a flat, misty cloud.
“Midgard, we need your help.”
“What is this? I don’t...”
Chase held up the rune stone. “The man who gave you the name Midgardsormr is lost and in need of all of us. The woman who has bewitched him is using him to find something you hid a long time ago.”
Midgard’s demeanor suddenly shifted to shock and a little sadness. “The Eye of Fenrir.”
“Yes. I know of it. He shared with me memories of the day he first met you. Now, we need you before everything goes to south.”
Midgard looked around, seeing all the heroes paying attention to this giant conversation. He softly nodded. “I’ll be there.” He threw his hand out, destroying the image and grabbing everyone’s attention. “ENOUGH OF THIS! WE HAVE A LEADER TO FIND! NO MORE GAMES!”
Heroes balked at this. Some even threw their paper cups at him. He reached back and let out a massive, ground shaking roar, and said, “YOU HEARD ME! UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE DINNER, GO!!!”
This changed their attitudes quickly. Midgard transformed back into his smaller self, standing in the middle of the street that he had turned into an arena for too many days.
Krystal flew down and joined him. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Where do I send you?”
He thought for a moment and then said, “Send me to Tullstorp, Sweden. Tell Chase and the others to meet me there. If Nova is looking for the stone, that is where he will be.”
“Tullstorp it is.” She waved her hand, and a portal appeared in front of him.
With unusual reluctance, he stepped through, traversing the planet in three seconds.
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