Author's Note: It's been a while since I had to use multiple languages.
"This is Japanese."
"This is Old Norse."
On another note, all thoughts will be now written in italics. Ffnet has driven me bonkers with its constantly changing rules of what characters it allows and characters it doesn't. And that's why this chapter has taken so long to post. I couldn't figure out who to post it! Gomen.
Chapter 41: The Journey to Muspelheim
"Slowly down!"
"No... watch out for that!"
"It's impossible to jump... don't!"
"Ahhhh! I'm going to die!" screamed Mayura into Jymir's ear.
Fed up with his rider's howling, Jymir abruptly came to a halt and sent Mayura flying into a warm brook. I don't see the honor in this... carrying the chosen mare of my great grand dame. If it was such an honor, why isn't grand sire, or even one of his many children doing this quest huh? Great honor doesn't come upon the youngest of the line of Slepnir.
Mayura was wet, soaking wet. Reaching the shore, she crawled on her hands and knees out of the water, coughing and choking. Vomiting up the water she had swallowed, Mayura's arms collapsed under her. It was thirty minutes before Mayura regained consciousness, and by that time her wet clothes were making her chilly. The sun had barely made its zenith, but Mayura would have sworn that she hadn't slept in days. Groaning, Mayura slowly righted herself on her feet... occasionally swaying from side to side.
Jymir heard his rider stirring and picked his head up from the grass he was grazing. Out of duty—and a touch of guilt—Jymir walked towards his rider. The sight that he saw was less than inspiring. I can't baby-sit this foolish mortal. I'm barely out of my mother's stall! Mayura staggered to Jymir and held herself upright with the saddle. Barely on our way and she's already faltering. Now I know why I was given such an 'honor.' I have to carry this bimbo through whatever path she decides. I just hope that when she dies, I can save my own neck.
Mayura clung onto the saddle for several minutes before she regained her balance. "Why did you throw me off like that? Do you want me killed?" accused Mayura. Jymir stared at Mayura before flipping his head aside uncaringly. "Oh, so you don't care if I get killed. Well then why don't we go back to that Vale place or better yet, back to Loki's mansion on Midgard and I'll find another way of transportation that doesn't have my death wish in mind."
Jymir vigorously shook his head no. No, no... don't! I'll be the talk of the whole paddock. The paddock? I'd be the talk of the whole herd!
"So you don't like that idea do you?" commented Mayura, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh... why am I talking to a horse? It's not like it understands me..." Jymir gave Mayura a dirty look—or at least his best attempt at one. "Can you understand me?" asked Mayura incredulously. Jymir nodded his head in the affirmative. "Fushigi mystery! I mean, Fenrir can talk and he's a dog... well wolf, but he's Loki's son, not an ordinary wolf so... can you talk too?"
Jymir shook his head no. What do I look like, Mr. Ed?
"I see. Is there some other way we can communicate besides you shaking you're head?" Jymir nodded his head. Moving over to some bare soil, he began to write with his front hoof. "Mystery, mystery! You can draw pictures!" Jymir snorted at her. "But how does that help us communicate?" Jymir snorts again and points at the ground. "Oh my! They're symbols! Fushigi mystery!" yelled Mayura quite excited. She kneeled down to look at the words before her more carefully. "But I can't read horse language."
Jymir rolled his eyes, which was quite an accomplishment for a horse, even for a horse of such a prestigious line such as himself. Moron
"Can you write in Japanese?" asked Mayura hopefully. Painstakingly Jymir wrote his response—yes. "Can you write in kanji and hiragana too?" Jymir shook his head yes and then no. "Huh? What does that mean?" Obviously annoyed, Jymir wrote the kanji for water.
Mayura tilted her head to the side and looked down in the dirt for several minutes in deep concentration. "You can write kanji but not hiragana?" Jymir nodded his head in affirmation. "Why?" Jymir drew another kanji.
"Money? No, I don't have any yen..." Jymir shook his head and drew a line through the kanji, striking it out. "You don't have any yen? Well neither do I so..." Jymir stamped his foot in agitation and drew the kanji again. "Money...?" Jymir once again shook his head. "Then what...!" yelled Mayura exasperated.
Jymir snorted. This is going to be a long quest. He pointed at the kanji again.
"I don't know.... Circle?" Jymir nodded excitedly. "Circle...? But what does that..." Jymir crossed out the kanji. "No circle... you can't draw circles?" Jymir once again shook his head. "So... you can't draw hiragana because you can't draw the curves?" He neighed. "Alright! I figured it out without Loki's help!"
Give her a cookie.
"Now, why were you going so fast?" demanded Mayura her excitement wearing off rather quickly.
"Not fast! What do you mean not fast?!" yelled Mayura after reading Jymir's terse reply.
"Fall moon, oh... you mean the fall equinox. What about it?" Jymir drew the kanji for fast or early. "We'll have plenty of time to complete the..."
"What!!" Mayura stared in shook as Jymir slashed the kanji negatively. "You mean we're not going to have enough time? But how hard could finding a quill in all the nine... worlds... oh..." Jymir continued to stare at Mayura. "I guess I answered my own question huh?"
Jymir didn't respond and motioned her to get back into the saddle. Mayura was up and holding onto the reins before Jymir leapt into a slow gallop. "Jymir... do you think you could go any slower?" He pushed his ears back in a definite 'no'. "Well, at least don't go any faster?" At her request Jymir picked p the speed. "Please! I've never even ridden a normal horse before!"
Jymir's speed slowed down and his gait became more even, allowing his rider more comfort. I'll speed up later. After all, if she's never ridden on of my Midgard cousins, there's no way she could ever ride a specimen such as myself. at that thought, Jymir raised his head pompously.
"Thank you Jymir."
Perhaps the All-father Odin should have asked for a pony. But ponies don't have the speed, endurance, or intelligence of even the lowest of my blood line.
"Jymir, you know the way to that fire place we're visiting, so... I trust you to guide me there."
Yes, I will guide this poor pathetic excuse for a mortal through her quest and return her alive—whether she finishes her quest or not. I will prove my worth to the stables.
Jymir and Mayura traveled together for days, and as they traveled, the landscape became bare, first only grass would grow, then dessert grass, and finally they traveled upon sand. Mayura was already quite thankful for the horn of plenty Freyr had given her at the vale, which also created as much water as Jymir and she needed. Even shade wasn't a problem, although she had no clue where Yamino-kun could have found a tent that worked so well and yet folded up into the sized of a medium sized pan. The days turned into a week, and the week proceeded into two before they saw the outline of a gate in the distance, and as they approached the gate, it didn't seem to get any closer—only bigger. Four days after the first sighting of the gate, Mayura and Jymir approached the foot of the wide open gate and began to walk through it, their heads cast down to avoid the scorching sun.
"Who so dares to pass the great boarders of Muspelheim?" roared a voice seeming to come from the sky.
"It is I... Mayura," she replied, following the format Loki had taught her. She had no clue what the voice had said, but Loki had assured her that the first thing out of almost anyone's mouth that she was going to meet would go along the lines of 'halt, who are you?'
"And said Mayura, do thou deem thyself so worthy of entrance that thou doesn't look upon mine eyes?"
Mayura gulped nervously. "Sir, I am unfamiliar with the language that you speak. My native language is Japanese."
"Very well, I will belittle myself to speak a tongue thou understand," he replied in a condescending voice. "And said Mayura, do thou deem thyself so worthy of entrance that thou doesn't look upon mine eyes?"
"No... I... where are you? Jymir raised his head up and motioned for Mayura to do the same. "What is it Jym... Oh, my! A... a... a giant!"
Laughter, as loud as thunder rolled down the sand dunes. "Ay... I be a giant, and thou but a mere mortal of Midgard. Afraid of my size perhaps ye be?"
"Y... yes sir."
"Now state thy business or mine foot might slip and crush ye."
Mayura gulped and looked up into the giant's eyes. "I have come on a quest, sent by the All-father Odin to retrieve Althasil, the quill of Bragi."
"Unfortunately, I have no information abut such matters. When did ye begin thy quest? Perhaps another has the information I lack."
"Sunrise of the spring equinox."
"It seems that thou have fallen from the favor of the gods, for I have not been informed of such a quest."
"That's not possible!" shouted Mayura. "I have been given boons by the gods including this blue ribbon given by Freya and tied by Loki himself!"
"Well then, if that's the case human, fire should recognize his approval upon thee and leave ye untouched. Travel through the Caves of Fire to seek audience with Aderon, the king of the Fire Giants of Muspelheim."
"Caves of, of Fire?" Mayura stuttered.
"I see that thou art nervous. If ye confess to thy falsehood now, I will kill ye swiftly, else thou shall die a slow and painful death burning in the Caves."
"I'm not lying!" affirmed Mayura, looking up at the giant determinedly.
"Then prove thyself within the Caves of Fire."
Author's Note:
Jymir wrote his first response to Mayura in katakana, which is made up of straight lines and is the phonetic alphabet used for foreign words. Hiragana is the curving phonetic alphabet and it is used for Japanese words. Kanji is the pictographic written language used by the Japanese. Jymir can write almost all kanji because the Chinese symbols (Japan stole them) are made of straight lines unlike Korean.
As for the yen and circle thing, I was playing a game with the kanji. The kanji for yen can also mean circle.
To Bibliomaniac: Loki isn't more worried because there isn't anything that he could do about it. Plus, he doesn't want to show his worry too much in front of the other gods.
And sorry, Yamino isn't going on the quest. He just packed her bags, which is a very good thing since they'll be needed at home.
And nope, Loki will be in a dark most of the time.
To LittleGreenWolf: But it's so much fun too.
To yami1: Sorry for the long wait.
To Rubydream: Thanks for the compliment, and luckily I've been healthy since.
To Nobody: Hell's only going to have a brief cameo. Sorry, but there will be a reason she hasn't been in the story. I promise. (Eventually)