Ch. 5

Astrid's blue eyes took in the Gate. It felt like they were approaching a whole new world. The thick mist extended in both horizons, almost like a dividing wall. Its height was immeasurable, where the storm goddess had to strain her neck looking up to try to see the top.

The storm goddess was standing next to the captain as he guided the ship. The captain looked to her, "You'll be entering a realm where even the gods are afraid to tread. Last chance to opt-out?"

Astrid clenched her fists and set her jaw, "I'll opt out when we find what we're looking for."

And with those words, the ship entered Hell's Gate. Astrid's chest pounded when they entered. The mist was so thick and that they could barely see what was in front of them. Their vision through the fog extended only a good thirty to forty meters in front of them.

The dense fog colored their surroundings with a grey and ghostly presence, with still waters and unnerving silence. Astrid had never felt this anxiousness before. She could have sworn the fog housed spirits that became silent when they felt their home was being intruded upon.

The captain relayed that on his journey with the Invisible God that when entering the Gate, they eventually reached land, just keep going straight ahead. Since not having any other option, Astrid and Snotlout agreed to sail straight forward until they reached land.

Snotlout commented to Fishlegs, "Still feel like this isn't the Underworld?"

"I wish I still had that feeling," Fishlegs looked as unnerved as everyone else.

A cutting tone called to Snotlout, "Snotlout!"

Snotlout turned to the twins—Ruffnut and Tuffnut—tall, lanky, blonde, mischievous-looking. The woman—Ruffnut—asked, "You sure this is a good idea? Coming all the way out here and all?"

"Yeah," the man—Tuffnut—added, "we all want to find the demons' nest as much as anyone else, but it feels like we're entering the realm of the dead. That, and there's only us; one ship."

Snotlout laughed, "Did I recruit cowards? You'll be fighting alongside a future king—Jorgenson the Bloodthirsty! Regardless of what we see we will leave with scars, honor, and glory."

"They aren't wrong," Fishlegs chimed in, "earlier when you proposed to all of us finding the nest so we can destroy felt cathartic and simplified. But now it feels bigger than what we were expecting."

Snotlout bunched up his eyebrows, "Are you seriously having doubts now? What'd think this was?"

"Certainly not a suicide?" Ruffnut spat out, spittle flying through her teeth.

Thunder drummed above them, a few of the crew members looking toward the sky. Astrid stalked towards the quarreling warriors. "What is this? Have you all forgotten what our mission is?!"

Fishlegs held his hands up in an appealing manner. "No one's forgotten anything. It's just that sailing into unknown territory is putting some of us on edge."

"Good," Astrid barked, "because we aren't leaving until we find something!"

Astrid's words made Ruffnut and Tuffnut simmer as they developed scowls. Even Snotlout looked at Astrid with a tilted head and an odd look.

Everyone's eyes bulged when a sudden wail of terror erupted. Looking around, everyone heard a splash. Demons scaled and boarded the ship.

These demons displayed fins and webbed appendages. Most had scales of black, dark blue, and brown. They were lipless with serrated teeth, and a few had glowing lures sticking out of their foreheads. Their eyes were a lifeless, milky white; almost as if they were all blind.

Fishlegs looked both fascinated and terrified, "What are they…"

"We can figure that out after we deal with them." Astrid pulled out her axe.

The hoard of sea monsters launched themselves at the crew. Snotlout held a sword with the twins holding spears. Astrid made note of Fishlegs's sudden disappearance after pulling out her axe.

Snotlout rocketed towards the demons with a battle cry. Despite his condescending and holier-than-thou persona, his skills with a weapon compensated for that. Every demon that came towards him with a death blow. A blow to the head, neck, torso, limbs, etc. Every vital part of the body he didn't spare with his blade. If it didn't kill them instantly they would undoubtedly die from blood loss.

The twins—Ruffnut and Tuffnut—were more than particularly vicious. Monstrously bloodthirsty could describe their behavior. Gleaming bright smiles with wide eyes adorned their faces as they butchered their opponents gleefully. Their style of murder was more playful and improvised, almost like they taught themselves how to fight rather than being methodically by a professional.

Astrid's every movement was cold and fluid with every swing of her axe. With a fist filled with cold fire, she backhanded a demon into his comrades. Another tackled her to the deck, her reflexes pushing the axe handle into the demon's maw. The monster struggled against her before a blade was thrust into the skull of her adversary and a boot kicked the beast off her.

Ruffnut stood before her, offering her hand with a bright look, "You having as much as I'm having?"

"Well, I'm not saying this is the worst pastime," Astrid took Ruffnut's offered hand before going for her weapon.

Snotlout was surprised when several of the demons bombarded him in an attack. His sword was lost in the assault before being he was pulled to the ground. His reaction time was remarkable when he intercepted a set of hook-like jaws going for his face.

The prince's eyes widened before turning a dark red, the color of blood. Lines of veins bulged and turned the same color of red underneath his eyes, across his eyelids and nose ridge, and on his cheeks. With a mighty roar, Snotlout popped the demon's head in his hands in an explosion of brains and gore.

The enraged god didn't even register his sword before taking a demon by the throat pummeling its face. The strength of his blows was so overwhelming that the demon didn't last long. His knuckles stained red before going after the others. He took another from behind and squeezed until the demon wheezed and coughed. An audible snap occurred right before the demon went limp, his arms, legs, and head lolling.

The blonde goddess took note of her partner's state and a surge of motivation renewed in her. With a cry, Astrid thrust her hand in the air. A rumble of thunder followed by bolts of energy flew rained downward like falling stars, killing several of her enemies.

Once more, Astrid thrust her axe in the air with lightning flying from it up to the clouds. This time arcs of cold fire rained down on the waters next to their ship. This annihilated the sea demons that took the ship in an explosion of light.

Snotlout took his hand out of the chest of one of his killed. His eyes looked around madly for any more enemies to eviscerate. He took in that most of the demons were slaughtered in some fashion, the metallic stench of the demons' black blood marinated the air. Astrid lowered her weapon, sweat coating her exposed skin with a splash of blood across her jaw. She breathed deeply feeling the fatigue of their battle.

A storm of fatigue and weariness washed over Snotlout. He leaned against his sword and wheezed as he took in air. His vision was slightly blurred, and his body felt heavy but still functional.

Tuffnut walked up to the prince, "Never seen that side of you before. No wonder they call you the Bloodthirsty."

"My father calls it the Blood Madness, says it runs in the family," Snotlout breathed, "and only shows itself every other generation."

"That was quite the performance," Fishlegs commented, coming up to the pair.

Tuffnut narrowed his eyes dangerously, "And just where the hell were you? I didn't catch a glimpse of you during the battle."

Fishlegs shrugged, and exposed his almost sloppy rotund physique, "Look at me and tell me you see a warrior or hero. Because I don't. I'm a scholar, an intellectual, I belong in a library, not on the field of battle. I thought it'd be much more productive for everyone if I let the more savage duties be handled by you all."

Ruffnut commented. "So, in other words, you thought cowardice was best the option?"

"Didn't Snotlout tell you, my biggest contribution to our band is my mind?" Fishlegs frowned.

Snotlout rolled his eyes upward, "Excuses…"

Fishlegs sneered, "I'm sorry does the mighty Bloodthirsty need someone else to fight his battles—"

"Enough!"

The bickering group looked over to the goddess Astrid where she stood at the edge looking beyond the fog. "We're here."

Everyone noticed the fog was starting to clear. A black sandy beach separated the dark waters and a mountain. The foliage between the black sands and the mountain was the same black that created an atmosphere of poison and death.

"I'm assuming we're going there," Ruffnut groaned.

Astrid didn't turn around. "You and your brother are called 'the gods of chaos'. Shouldn't this somewhat excite you?"

Tuffnut rolled his eyes, "We like causing a little bit of chaos," he stressed the word 'chaos', "but not at the expense of ourselves."

"I'd say we hold off on any harsh decisions," Fishlegs interjected, "we were just attacked by those aquatic monsters and most likely have lost some members of our party."

Snotlout's voice dripped with snark, "Oh, so now you're concerned with the safety of other people."

Soon the bickering and arguing started up again. Everyone became quiet with a look of shock as the sky crackled and popped with lightning. Astrid's fists clenched with her eyes trained only on the island.

"I'm only going to say once! We will land and find the nest! And I will destroy it and be rid of the scourge that is demons!"

Cold fire snaked up and down Astrid's arms like they were thrashing to be released. Snotlout sheathed his sword noticing Astrid's unyielding resolve.

Tuffnut stepped closer to his sister and whispered, "I thought our mission was reconnaissance?"

"Apparently," Ruffnut hissed, "Astrid and Snotlout both have a lot of confidence in our—or there—abilities."

Tuffnut arched an eyebrow, "Us? Potentially against an entire demons' nest? They are beyond mad."

Ruffnut took of the island with narrowed eyes. She shrugged, "Maybe."

"Don't tell me you're on board with this—"

Ruffnut hissed, "I'm not saying anything. Just stay close. As aggravating you are sometimes, your still my brother, and I'd rather let everyone else die on this mission than see you get hurt."

The goddess took note of Astrid and Snotlout's determined looks. "Especially them."

Y'all thought I was gonna upload a couple of chapters & then come back a year later? Naw fuck that we're finishing this! Sorry, this is a little late. Thanksgiving and procrastination were kicking my ass. How was y'all Thanksgiving? Hope y'all ate a shit ton cuz I sure as hell did!