—Magnus—
I woke up in the softest bed I've ever had.
What I should say was that I woke up in my bed that I inherited when I died. Maybe it was me being homeless... but my bed in Valhalla was amazing. Guess you need a good nights sleep when you die on a daily basis.
The area where I had been stabbed and maimed earlier was completely healed. The heavy wool lining coating my thoughts seemed to have disappeared, as per usual. When I blinked my eyes open, they felt crusty, but I was able to lift my arms, slowly, and wipe them clear. Stupid floor 109, using pocket sand.
Man. Being dead was really hard on a guy.
I was in a hotel room.
The living room area, which just so happened to be an open atrium, was the size of my old apartment.
A large tree towered in the middle, casting shade as its leaves fell lightly. Pictures from all my adventures lie above the fire place, mainly my friends, but a few showed me looking straight derpy. For some reason, the temperature was cold enough that when I exhaled, my breath condensed, but I was comfortable beneath the bed's blankets.
My room door swung open and a girl appeared.
She was too young to drink legally and she was one of the lovelier women I'd ever seen in person. High cheekbones, exotic almond-shaped eyes. Her skin was a medium olive tone, her eyes were gold and brown (heterochromia, if I remember correctly). Her curly green hair was brushed off to the side, she wore a checkered vest with lime green jeans, and she had no makeup at all.
Wow. Any person who could wear that and still look that good was a freaking goddess, or god depending on their gender.
It was Alex Fierro.
"Hey Maggie" she said, and smiled at me. Maybe it was just the bed talking, but the smile and her voice were even better than the rest of her.
"Uh... Hi," I said. My voice came out in a croak that hardly sounded human. I started coughing.
Alex rolled her eyes once smiling, before sitting down at the edge of my bed. She pulls out a letter and a thermos from who knows where. She passed it to me, and it proved to be filled with scalding hot coffee. "You do this every day. Talk before you've gotten anything down your throat. Drink you dingus."
I did. Starbucks. Or the Valhalla equivalent anyway. And it was amazing. My memory slowly came back to me. The sudden memory of me being crushed under a lindworm, ouch, while my hall mates tried to slay the beast.
"I think . . . I need a serious break," I said, after several sips. "Oh right... don't we have a date later?" She frowned, but I shook my head before she could speak. " No, I mean. Hey whats in the letter?"
Maybe Kvasirs mead hadnt worn off yet.
Both her eyebrows lifted and she smiled. "Sheesh, is thats supposed to be you asking me out on a date?"
My face felt hot and at the same time I couldn't help but feel ecstatic. I blinked at the sudden sensation and started to sip more coffee to hide my expression.
Alex laughed at me. It made the room feel brighter. "Don't rush. There's still time before dinner Magnus."
I finished the cup, spilling only a little on my chin, and then murmured, "I'm in no rush. But is that a yes?"
"Tell you what," she said. "Before I answer that, let's head down for the Valkyrie Vision."
"Huh?" I said.
Alex smiled again. "I think we have a new hall mate."
Her eyes sparkled and it made me feel good all the way to my toes. Even more so when she winked at me on her way out. I thought I was going to have a heart attack on the spot, she looked amazing.
"Let's go Magnus."
Notes:
I have no idea what I'm doing to be honest. But i'll try at least. This is my first novel that I'm ever writing so go easy please.
But all criticism is welcome, good or bad.