“Why did you do that?” Vector asked while he and Xain watched Fen rush up to Squall’s daughter Wisp, spray her with snow, and bound away again as she shrieked in delight.

  Squall’s three spouses stood a good ten feet away, keeping their distance as they glanced between Xain and Wisp with alternating expressions of delight and disdain.

  “Do what?” Xain asked, indifferent to their glares, his smile growing as Wisp stumbled toward Fen in the fluffy powder.

  “You know what,” Vector said.

  “I…” Xain started, but trailed off. How could he explain it?

  He had been telling the truth when he said he thought the Asgardians could be of use. But even had he not believed that, his advice would have been the same. However, it had very little to do with their actual fate.

  He understood the relative peace that existed on Yid for the anomaly it was, especially when compared to the outer Nine Realms. The fact that true interrealm wars were only viable during a Ragnarok event did little to preclude other types of conflict.

  Aside from Muspellsheim and Hel, every Realm went through periods of war. Midgard was the best example, as the monarchs who ruled the Realm alongside the merchant guilds were nearly constantly hostile with one another. The reasons and justifications were often unique to the Realm, but they all led to the same bloody end.

  With only a surface level knowledge of politics on Niflheim, Xain could still name seven different wars within the Realm that had occurred over the last two millenia. It was likely there were many more, but those were the ones which stuck out for one reason or another.

  Which was to say, even without the danger of other runic users targeting him, he had not fooled himself into thinking this journey would be free of death.

  “Bow said when I was a child, I was incredibly sensitive. Like I could pick up on any change in his mood, no matter how small it was. For a long time he avoided taking me to town, since any trip would send me into a similar state as you saw me in before.”

  “I told him it was just the smells. Which was true, but not entirely. Still, I'm sure he knew. Knew the other reason. That i just… felt too much. The emotions were overwhelming. I would see another child crying, and two seconds later I would be crying too. I would feel one person's anger toward another, and it would infect me.”

  “It got better over time. I learned to block them out in a way. Learned to cope.”

  “Fen?” Vector guessed.

  Xain nodded, a familiar surge of affection welling up for the wolf while he watched Fen fall over exaggeratedly in the snow as Wisp tackled him.

  “He… anchors me.”

  “When she told you to choose, I saw your face. I could feel how you, I mean… you may not hold any love for your old House, but…”

  “Hmm,” Vector grunted, not agreeing or denying his words.

  “Lilith was the same,” Xain continued, “though she hid it better. Neither of you wanted to choose their fate, but you also knew that is how things are done. Luckily, Bow didn’t give a fuck about things like blood debts, leaving me blissfully unburdened by things like tradition. Don’t get me wrong, he is not a pacifist. I have no doubt that if he was here, and saw a reason for them to die, he would have done it himself and not thought twice about it. But to do it because it was expected… well that just seems fucking dumb.”

  “Plus,” Xain said, nudging Vector with his shoulder. “It was like Asgard wanted us to do their work for them. And, I mean, fuck that, right? The fact they sent them to die seems reason enough to keep them alive.”

  Vector chuckled, and pulled the large coat Lilith had given him up tighter around his neck.

  “That is a sentiment I can fully understand,” he said with a small smile.

  “And.. thank you.”

  Xain glanced over, but when he saw the distant look in Vector’s eyes, turned back to watch Fen and Wisp play, finding more joy in such a simple thing than he had expected.

  “You’re welcome,” Xain replied.

  They were silent for a few moments before Vector said, “I have never had the experience of someone… looking out for me. It is…”

  “Nice?” Xain supplied.

  “Yes,” Vector said.

  “I expect Lilith will realize what you did as well,”

  “Eh,” Xain said, shrugging. “I think I pissed her off enough with the whole ‘I know your array’ thing that I’m safe from anything so awkward as her admitting I was right.”

  “That was… unexpected,” Vector said.

  Xain had been waiting for Vector to bring it up, or to at least ask how he knew. Instead he changed the subject and mused, “It must be strange. Seeing her again, I mean. I admit, she is… not what I expected.”

  “Yeah…” Xain agreed, but found the topic more confusing and uncomfortable than he was ready to discuss.

  “So,” he continued, in a clumsy attempt to shift focus back to safer ground, “now that we made it, what's next?”

  Vector hesitated for a second before granting Xain’s wish and said, “I think that depends on Squall and Lilith. I had planned to seek out Uruz, though that was before… all of this.”

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that,” Xain said, perking up.

  “How… how does that work?”

  “What?”

  “Acquiring a rune,” Xain said, only slightly embarrassed.

  “You do not know?”

  “Well, I only have the one. Or, well you know.”

  “Indeed,” Vector said, obviously surprised this was the first time he had thought about it.

  “I know the stages,” Xain said quickly. “Discovery, Embodiment, Scripting, and the Blaze. But…”

  “You do not know what they mean,” Vector said, nodding.

  “Not really.”

  “In theory, it is actually quite simple. Discovery relates to the stage when you learn of the rune. Not the name or its shape, but of what it means, and where its story fits into the futhark. Uruz, for example, is the second rune as you know. It represents the primordial ice that, together with Fehu, were the genesis for all creation.”

  “Knowing this is the first step of discovery.”

  “That seems… too easy,” Xain said cautiously.

  “Ah, but to pass this stage, you must not just learn this knowledge as a fact, but understand the significance of it, and how it relates to you. Each runic user must find their own way to achieve such a state of comprehension. For me, it came during a meditation in which I saw how my creation as a Husk was much like a plant sprouting from the ground. I witnessed how the ice of Uruz melted, and how I drew life from the drops of water which rained down upon me.”

  “However, your own experience would be much different than my own.”

  “I had a teacher once who was to lead me through the process of acquiring Thurisaz. You may imagine the rune most closely associated with the Jotun was not held in high regard within my House, and the teacher was viewed in a similar manner.”

  “Naturally, she was my favorite of all my tutors. She was nothing like anyone I had met before. Her aura was like looking into chaos itself.”

  “I took to the rune quickly, but only after passing through an exceptionally difficult period of Discovery. Nothing I tried worked, and I grew increasingly frustrated with my own inability, until one morning she came to my room and told me we were going on a hike.”

  “I knew her methods were not traditional, but it had been weeks and I felt farther away than when we had begun. Exasperated, I lashed out. I blamed her, regurgitating prejudices I did not even believe. She bore it without a word, until finally I was heaving, shaking with anger, and she explained the reason I was stuck was simple. I had forgotten that we are, every one of us, explorers, and left.”

  “I was so confused, and embarrassed by my own behavior, I could do nothing but follow as she walked out of the hold, and into the mountains.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “She only spoke again several hours later when we arrived at a lake deep in a range in the north of Yid. Surrounded by peaks on all sides, she told me that while we took the same journey, what we see at its end is completely different. Yes we both see the lake, but how we see it is unique to us. How we feel, what the smell of its water brings to mind, what sensations are drawn from the breeze, they are things which are both shared, and yet completely separate. No matter how many people had been to that lake before, or how many times we would go ourselves, each time we were seeing it anew.”

  “She explained that we are the explorers of our own lives. Our views, our experiences, they all shape how we see the world, and how the world sees us. And how it is that exploration which is the foundation of true Discovery. She could guide me to the lake, but what I saw when we arrived was for me, and me alone.”

  “Discovery, true discovery, is understanding that no two people will ever arrive at the exact same destination. That our relationship with the rune is as unique as our view of the world.”

  “Shit,” Xain breathed, seeing a new side of his friend.

  “Discovery is often discounted, but what you see at its end will greatly influence the rest of the process.”

  “As for Embodiment, well,” but before Vector could continue, Wisp, with one hand wound tightly in Fen’s fur as she watched them cautiously from a good ten feet away, cut in.

  “Will you… play with us?” she asked, her eyes quickly darting up to Xain, before pulling a bit closer to Fen, and stepping behind his front legs.

  “Me?” Xain asked, surprised.

  Her only response was a slight nod of her head, which in the fluffy snowsuit she wore was barely a movement at all.

  “Wisp,” one of Squall's spouses said. They had not done so much as introduce themselves to Xain and Vector, but from what he could tell, they were all Dragonkin, one male, the other two female.

  This came from one of the women, as she stepped forward as if to block Wisp from Xain’s path.

  “Nitha,” the man said, as he put a hand on her shoulder, and glanced over at Xain.

  “Squall said,” Nitha huffed, but the man interjected,, his words soft as he said, “I know. But you also know how she is when it comes to… him.”

  Bow. He means Bow. Gods, what the fuck happened there?

  “I…” Nitha tried, but as she looked over at Wisp, wavered, and took a hesitant step back.

  Xain didn't move until she looked over at him, and though she still wore a glare, gave a single nod.

  “I would love to!” Xain beamed, though couldn't help thinking about how this was not just Squall’s daughter, but his sister as well.

  My sister… Weird.

  “Do you want to ride him?” Xain asked as he knelt down, careful to keep a few feet between them.

  “Yes!” Wisp squealed, her hesitation melting away in an instant, and ran excitedly toward Xain.

  Fen only growled slightly in protest as Xain lifted Wisp up, and put her on his back.

  “Here, hold this” he said, as he adjusted her seat so she could grab onto his collar.

  “Okay, ready?” Xain asked.

  Wisp looked a bit unsure now that she was actually up there, but after a moment her face set in determination, and she nodded once.

  “Then… let's go!” Xain whooped, and ran forward, with Fen by his side.

  …

  It didn't take long before Vector, along with Squall’s spouses, West, Ory, and Nitha had joined in.

  Wisp was of course at the center of all the attention, her and Fen forming a team of their own as they ran around as Wisp jumped between games, made new rules, and directed the rest of them with unhindered joy.

  Fen, already protective of the little girl, tackled Xain and the others at her command, moving with a speed that obviously had been enhanced by his array.

  While the three Dragonkin still gave Xain a wide berth, the aggression he had felt before was slowly seeping away.

  Vector, who had been rather reserved at the start, soon dropped all pretense of the cultured man, and immersed himself in the roles Wisp assigned.

  Xain had almost completely forgotten about what they were doing there, until the clap of thunder sounded in the direction Lilith and Squall had gone, it all came back roaring back.

  At the sound, the three Dragonkin stopped, their bodies tense, and from the burning of his necklace, Xain knew that they had all tapped their arrays. However, before the echoes had faded, the rune on his back flared.

  It was different than before. Stronger by magnitudes, with an undercurrent of urgency he could not understand as it hit him like an explosion, and sent him sprawling face first into the snow. The pain seared through him, covering his arms, his legs, and finally his face with a speed he could not comprehend, as it turned his world into nothing but pure agony.

  I am… It's going to kill me.

  The thought came from somewhere outside of where he lay writhing on the ground, as if the pain had been so great it tore him in two, and he was now both experiencing and observing at once.

  The part which observed did not rage at the thought of his death, it did not lament his journey would end here. It only watched, almost curious.

  While he could not shift his whole awareness to this part, the part which was not screaming on the ground, Xain was able to focus on it, and use it as a sort of anchor to escape.

  The observer saw Vector rush to his side, followed by Fen, and finally Wisp, who despite looking terrified, knelt down, and ran her hand over his head as if soothing a child. It was so sweet, had this bit of him been able to feel, it would have known the love the touch carried.

  As it was though, it could only observe.

  It noticed the branches, dark and twisting, as they split the flesh of his face, dark blood streaming out and mixing with tears.

  It bore witness to his hands as they opened and closed, leaving pools of red to stain the white snow.

  It beheld Fen, as he snarled and barked and howled, yet could do nothing.

  It examined cooly, how Vector flared his array, and brought forth a dragon of green and brown, who looked to be composed of leaves and vines wrapped so tightly together they became a single being.

  And finally, it understood. This was not death. Not exactly. It was… change. Brutal, violent, painful, but also… beautiful.

  “It begins to wake.”

  The voice came from behind the Xain who watched, but as he was, its arrival did not surprise him. He did not even feel the need to turn his head, or offer a reply. He knew who it was, for it was a part of him, and he was a part of it.

  “Come,” Uruz said. “We have much to discuss.”

  The observer, who was Xain, nodded, understanding this to be true. So, as Uruz laid a hand on his shoulder, and one on the form in the snow, he did not resist. For this was change too, and change could not be fought.

  …

  “What the fuck is going on?!” Lilith yelled, as she sprang from the sled.

  “We, he just fell, and,” Ory stuttered, as he looked between Lilith and Xain’s body.

  Vector, or what she assumed to be Vector, crouched over Xain, plant-like arms moving gently over the still form.

  So much blood…

  Where Xain lay, the snow had all been dyed a dark red, and she had to force down a gag as the metallic odor nearly overwhelmed her.

  “Get him on the sled,” Squall ordered.

  “Mommy,” Wisp cried, but refused to move from where she sat by Xain’s head, her hand rhythmically stroking his long black hair.

  “I know, baby,” Squall said, softening her tone.

  “But we need to get him home, okay?” she continued, as she bent down and scooped up her daughter.

  “Now!” Squall bellowed.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” West said, snapping to attention, and moved to pick up Xain.

  Before she could reach him though, Fen and Vector both let out a snarl so feral, Lilith found herself taking several steps back.

  Squall, who seemed to have expected this, looked down at Vector with hard eyes, and said “I am the Matriarch of the Thirteenth Talon. You will not disobey my command. Either return to your Realm and await my summons, or move.”

  The dragon's green head turned up, as if noticing Squall for the first time, and met her glare defiantly.

  “Fen!” Lilith yelled, the strength in her voice surprising her.

  The wolf looked up, and she was struck by the pure fear his eyes held.

  “We can help him, but we need to move,” she said, gently, but firmly.

  The wolf looked down at Xain, back up at her, and she saw some of the panic had cleared.

  Similarly, the dragon who Vector wore seemed to finally comprehend who it faced, and while its posture remained defiant, it moved to follow her orders.

  “Put him in the other sled. Wisp, I need you to go with Lilith, okay?”

  “But,” Wisp tried, but cut off.

  “That's my girl,” Squall said, and nipped her daughter's neck gently.

  “Squall, what should we,” Ory started.

  “Leave the one you came in, and ride with Wisp and Lilith. Move the Asgardian bodies to the top. I don't want Wisp around that. You two,” she continued, looking at Fen and Vector.

  “Get in the sled, and secure him any way you can.”

  “Squall, are you-” West choked.

  “No choice,” Squall said, as she handed Wisp to Lilith, and began to strip out of her clothes.

  “The hold is a week away by sled. Do not stop. After what happened at the port, well, just, don't stop. The dogs will be fine. And I'm trusting you to keep her safe.”

  “I will,” Lilith said, pulling Wisp tight.

  “Contact your mothers on the way. I will try to join you, but I can't promise anything.”

  “Okay,” Lilith said, stepping back.

  Without another word, Squall’s form blurred, and Lilith had to bury her face in her free arm, wrapping it around her and Wisp as power washed over them in a wave.

  When she felt it pass, Lilith looked up, and saw a fully grown dragon where Squall had been standing a moment before.

  Shimmering light blue scales covered her form, and ran down the edge of her massive blue wings, which she slowly began to unfurl. At the same time, she stretched out her neck, moving it from one side to the other, as her tail lashed in a similar motion behind her.

  Lilith had only seen this form once before, but her memory did little justice to the beautiful being who she saw now. Standing 20 feet tall from her front legs to her back, and easily 40 feet from head to tail, with a wingspan of the same, Squall was truly a sight to behold.

  After testing her wings once, Squall looked toward Lilith and Wisp, and gave her daughter a smile much like Fens, before she leapt from the ground to the top of the sled which now held Xain, Fen and Vector.

  Lilith moved quickly, jumping into their own sled, and closing the door, just as snow erupted from the ground around where Squall perched.

  Their sled shook several times with each beat of Squall’s massive wings, before finally becoming still once more, as she departed with the other sled held in her talons, leaving Lilith to tightly clutch Wisp and able to do nothing but hope it would all be okay.