Chapter 48
Sleipnir was galloping so fast that Lethe felt like she was flying. As they reached the northern Great Lake shore she gasped to see a great encampment pitched along the western edge of Styx. Banners bearing a Cirpius fluttered in the breeze over the hundreds of tents bathed in the morning light. They could see catapults hurling burning canisters beyond the city gates. Already a large portion of the town was on fire. Odin drew out his sword. They galloped through the middle of camp; Odin slashing through any soldier that tried to get in their way. As they passed by a huge dome shaped tent a burly gray haired man with a flowing moustache and steel armor walked out.
"What the hell?" he yelled.
"General Conrad, watch out!" warned a soldier before Odin cut him down.
"Dammit the Espers knew!" snapped the General in frustration, "Who told them?"
"I did," said Balthazar cheerfully from a bench next to the tent where he was smoking a pipe.
Conrad blinked and sputtered for a moment. "Why aren't you with the Atma Weapon?"
"Change of plans General," replied the Magus leisurely.
"He's escaping!" yelled a guard.
They watched Sleipnir gallop across the front line and vault over the city walls in a single leap. A great cheer rose from the defenders along the walls.
"I hope you're happy!" yelled Conrad.
Balthazar nodded. "Yes, I told them to return here."
"What?" asked the General.
"Now that everyone is here, we can truly begin," said the Magus getting slowly to his feet.
Conrad folded his arms across his chest. "Begin?"
"The end of everything," said Balthazar quietly.
The castle gates lowered and let Sleipnir in. They slammed shut behind them with a loud bang. Odin dismounted and held out a hand to Lethe. She took his hand and carefully slid off the saddle.
"Thank you Lord Odin," she said breathlessly.
He nodded. "I'll defend Asgard to the death."
She put her hands on his chestplate. "I wish I could see your true form more often Odin."
He frowned, not quite sure how to handle that. "Your Majesty, you should not address me in so common a manner."
She looked up at him fiercely on the verge of tears. "I'll talk however I like! And after what we've been through you can call me Lethe."
Odin's yellow face paled noticeably. "Majesty.."
She leaned her head against his chest. "Just let me selfish for a while."
He looked down at her uncomfortably. "As you wish Your.I mean Lethe."
"I'm such a fool," she said sighing, "We have to plan our defense and here I'm wasting time."
"That's not true," said Odin sympathetically, "You have to be strong to inspire the rest of us."
"I want to fight as well," said Lethe.
He shook his head. "If you die, Asgard dies."
She frowned. "It's not fair for all of your to risk your lives for my sake."
He took her hand and led her inside. They walked into the main hall. He stopped at the stairs before her throne. He stepped on the carpeting and they heard a distant thud. They walked down a staircase into the Queen's private chambers. There was a second staircase leading further down that wasn't there before. He turned to her.
"Use the secret passage and hide there until the battle ends," he said.
"Odin, you must win," said the Queen wringing her hands.
He nodded. "I will."
She shook her head. "No I have something important to tell you."
He bowed. "Yes Your Majesty."
She kissed him on the cheek. "Fight with honor Lord Odin."
He smiled to her and left up the stairs. She began to pace the room restlessly. Finally she walked over to her bookcase and took her diary off the bookshelf. She leafed through it silently. When she reached the first blank page she took it over to her desk. She sat and dipped a feather pen in a bottle of ink and began to write.
"I realize, now, that I am in love with Odin... This...breaks every rule of our society. But my heart longs for this noble, elegant man. How could anyone blame me? After the fighting is over I'm going to bare my soul to him..."
She read the passage again and then quietly shut the book and returned it to the shelf. She then walked down the hidden stairs, which closed shut after her.
Sleipnir was galloping so fast that Lethe felt like she was flying. As they reached the northern Great Lake shore she gasped to see a great encampment pitched along the western edge of Styx. Banners bearing a Cirpius fluttered in the breeze over the hundreds of tents bathed in the morning light. They could see catapults hurling burning canisters beyond the city gates. Already a large portion of the town was on fire. Odin drew out his sword. They galloped through the middle of camp; Odin slashing through any soldier that tried to get in their way. As they passed by a huge dome shaped tent a burly gray haired man with a flowing moustache and steel armor walked out.
"What the hell?" he yelled.
"General Conrad, watch out!" warned a soldier before Odin cut him down.
"Dammit the Espers knew!" snapped the General in frustration, "Who told them?"
"I did," said Balthazar cheerfully from a bench next to the tent where he was smoking a pipe.
Conrad blinked and sputtered for a moment. "Why aren't you with the Atma Weapon?"
"Change of plans General," replied the Magus leisurely.
"He's escaping!" yelled a guard.
They watched Sleipnir gallop across the front line and vault over the city walls in a single leap. A great cheer rose from the defenders along the walls.
"I hope you're happy!" yelled Conrad.
Balthazar nodded. "Yes, I told them to return here."
"What?" asked the General.
"Now that everyone is here, we can truly begin," said the Magus getting slowly to his feet.
Conrad folded his arms across his chest. "Begin?"
"The end of everything," said Balthazar quietly.
The castle gates lowered and let Sleipnir in. They slammed shut behind them with a loud bang. Odin dismounted and held out a hand to Lethe. She took his hand and carefully slid off the saddle.
"Thank you Lord Odin," she said breathlessly.
He nodded. "I'll defend Asgard to the death."
She put her hands on his chestplate. "I wish I could see your true form more often Odin."
He frowned, not quite sure how to handle that. "Your Majesty, you should not address me in so common a manner."
She looked up at him fiercely on the verge of tears. "I'll talk however I like! And after what we've been through you can call me Lethe."
Odin's yellow face paled noticeably. "Majesty.."
She leaned her head against his chest. "Just let me selfish for a while."
He looked down at her uncomfortably. "As you wish Your.I mean Lethe."
"I'm such a fool," she said sighing, "We have to plan our defense and here I'm wasting time."
"That's not true," said Odin sympathetically, "You have to be strong to inspire the rest of us."
"I want to fight as well," said Lethe.
He shook his head. "If you die, Asgard dies."
She frowned. "It's not fair for all of your to risk your lives for my sake."
He took her hand and led her inside. They walked into the main hall. He stopped at the stairs before her throne. He stepped on the carpeting and they heard a distant thud. They walked down a staircase into the Queen's private chambers. There was a second staircase leading further down that wasn't there before. He turned to her.
"Use the secret passage and hide there until the battle ends," he said.
"Odin, you must win," said the Queen wringing her hands.
He nodded. "I will."
She shook her head. "No I have something important to tell you."
He bowed. "Yes Your Majesty."
She kissed him on the cheek. "Fight with honor Lord Odin."
He smiled to her and left up the stairs. She began to pace the room restlessly. Finally she walked over to her bookcase and took her diary off the bookshelf. She leafed through it silently. When she reached the first blank page she took it over to her desk. She sat and dipped a feather pen in a bottle of ink and began to write.
"I realize, now, that I am in love with Odin... This...breaks every rule of our society. But my heart longs for this noble, elegant man. How could anyone blame me? After the fighting is over I'm going to bare my soul to him..."
She read the passage again and then quietly shut the book and returned it to the shelf. She then walked down the hidden stairs, which closed shut after her.