Age 13
Unknown
I wake up no longer cold, which is comforting, but also alone and worried. I shiver at even the thought of the sudden chill the scary lady had forced on me. I sit up and pull my legs close, looking around the room. There are no windows; the room is lit by sconces of fire on the walls. The walls and floor are grey stone, like some kind of medieval building. The room is small, and the only things in it are the thin bed that I'm on and a couple of pots in the corner.
The door swing open, revealing a hooded figure carrying a bundle of black fabric. Fear hits me like a truck, and I scramble to get off the bed and away from them. My skin lights up again, the fire leaking uncontrollably from my palms. It catches the edge of the bed on fire as I leave it, and my panic only soars.
"Hey, whoa, it's ok." The hood drops back to reveal a girl a couple years older than me, and she extends a hand toward the burning blanket as she approaches. "Vertu í friði," she mutters, and the fire dies. "It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help. I need you to work with me and we don't have a lot of time. My name's Mina." She crouches down beside me, face kind. I'm not expecting that, but I'm also not calm.
"I want to go home," I cry. Mina puts a hand on my knee.
"I know." She sighs. "But you can't. Not right now. It's not safe." I look at her with tearful eyes. "Listen, I know you're scared, I would be too. But I need you to be brave. We have to go meet some important people today. I brought you some new clothes, I'll leave so you can get dressed, and when I come back I'll answer any questions you might have." She pats me on the knee before heading out of the room, leaving the bundle of clothes on the bed.
I consider my options. I don't want to be here, but it doesn't look like that will change any time soon. Besides, Mina was kind to me, which hasn't exactly been the case recently. I decide that, at least for now, I will trust her. The clothes turn out to be a dress, and putting it on makes me feel uncomfortable. The fabric is thin but not see-through, and the sleeves barely cover my shoulders, which would be less of a problem if the front didn't open to my sternum. Similar slits come up to mid-thigh on either side, and the back is open as well. There's no bra, not that I need one, but it's seems like the finishing touch on making me look like someone I'm not.
"Oh, good, you've changed." Mina strides back into the room, carrying more things. "And you're not on fire anymore, which is a good sign." I look down to notice that I am, in fact, no longer leaking fire, though I'm still glowing faintly. "Don't worry about the dress, it's fireproof." She tosses some shoes on the ground in front of me, a pair of simple sandals. I slip them on.
"Where are we going?" I finally get up the courage to ask. Mina gives me a forced smile.
"We... are going to court in the city. Eldmara sent a messenger to the king to let him know of our success and he wants to see you as soon as possible. Which is why we are in such a hurry, because we can't disobey the king, but we aren't exactly ready for that." There's an edge in her voice that I can't quite tell who it's directed at. But Eldmara must be the important scary lady, because I get a slight chill at the mention of her name. Mina starts tying ribbons on my arm that lace from my bicep to my wrist with less then steady fingers. "Alright, here's a quick court behavior lesson. Don't speak unless spoken to, bow when I bow. Use 'Your Majesty' when answering King Odin, though I don't think he'll address you, but if he does, make eye contact while you speak and then look down. That should keep you out of trouble, though I'll admit that most of my courtly knowledge is outdated." This information is alarming and I'm even more overwhelmed by this turn of events. What place did I have talking to kings?
"Wait, what?" I find my voice. "I don't understand."
"Did you get all that?" Mina asks.
"Yes, but…" I'm cut off, and Mina talks even faster than she was.
"More importantly, when Eldmara speaks to you, use the same rules, but use "Your Grace" when you respond. Do everything she tells you, she doesn't like being disobeyed. Come on, let's go." She finishes tying the ribbons, but I'm still super confused and more than a little overwhelmed. Mina looks at me expectantly, and I move to follow her out the door when I notice something else on her face. There's fear there that she's trying to hide, but her speedy words and trembling fingers make it evident. My behavior doesn't just have effects on me, she's responsible too.
I don't want to be here and there's a part of me that wants to fight back with every ounce of strength I possess. But I know that won't get me home. Mina has at least been nice to me, and I think that I can do what she says.
She leads me down the hall that I only vaguely remember from before, and we pass the room with the altar, silent and empty now, but still full of pain. We pass figures dressed in simple clothes, and no one is wearing hoods like they were last night, which strikes me as odd.
"Where are we?" I ask Mina quietly. We've started up some stone stairs, and Mina doesn't stop to answer my question. As we reach the top she pushes open the doors that block us from going further. I step out into sunlight, only now realizing I've been breathing musty air.
"We're in the Temple of Hagalaz, on the outskirts of Asgard." She says slightly smug. I gape at the sight in front of me, the view is stunning. Sprawled before me are stone mansions marbled with majestic gold craftsmanship and in the distance I can see what appear to be enormous pure gold pillars rising to form a palace.
No place like this exists on Earth. The beauty is too exquisite, and no human technology could build this. I am far, far away from home, and for a split second, it is worth it to be able to see this view. Until of course, the view is marred by a figure in a red dress and headpiece.
"Enjoying the view, are we? It's not what it was. Asgard has lost what made it a grand city. However, we are a step closer to that now that we have you." Eldmara's voice drips with condescension; it is obvious I am no more than an object to her. I want to attack, but two things stop me. Mina's eyes plead with me to behave, and there's an unnatural chill going up my spine. I look down at the floor, avoiding eye contact because I'm pretty sure that's what Mina said to do. "Looks like my sorceress has taught you some manners. Good, we need to be leaving." She strides away, expecting to just be obeyed. I'm still angry, but also still scared. Mina follows after her and I follow, wondering what Eldmara meant by "sorceress."
We board something that looks like a boat with wings that hovers in the air. I spend the entire ride taking in the view; I don't believe that anything could be grander than this sight, no matter what Eldmara says. It doesn't take long to figure out that we are headed to the palace, and my wonder is soon fighting anxiety.
We soon disembark, the gold pillars leer intimidatingly as we enter the palace, and I stay close Mina as we pass dozens of guards in golden armor. Eldmara strides into what I assume to be the throne room like she owns the place, but Mina and I walk a little more cautiously. I remember to keep my gaze to the floor, even though all I really want to do is stare at the architecture.
"Announcing Her Grace, the High Priestess Eldmara of Hagalaz!" Someone announces. I watch Mina for the bow, and I perform a probably incredibly dorky bow.
"King Odin," Eldmara calls out with more respect than I thought she was capable of, "I thank you for your graciously allowing us to finally access the sacred Eternal Flame. Our labors have not been in vain, of the five that we attempted to bond, three survived, and one is successful."
"Good!" The king's voice booms, it's loud and harsh and echoes in the vast room. "You're finally doing something useful. Is she trained?"
"Not yet, Your Majesty. She only bonded last night. However her abilities are extraordinary." Eldmara coolly. I got the impression she was trying to save face, but I doubted that was going to go well for me.
"Show me! I should like to see that." All eyes turn to me, and I look up, startled, taking in the room for the first time. It's massive, and on the throne is the stereotypical white-haired king, except for the eyepatch. On either side of him are two younger men who are obviously not guards, one has a green cape and the other red. Eldmara shoots me a death glare and Mina looks like she's pleading for me to do something. "Well, don't just stand there!"
I'm terrified, but I have to do something. I step forward timidly. I've been glowing this entire time, and it starts to pulse as I grow more nervous. I have no idea how to do this on purpose; I started the bed on fire this morning purely on accident. I search inside me, looking for anything. I find fire in my soul somehow and I reach for it. My hands ignite, and I hold them up half in wonder and half in panic. I let it go for a second, but then I realize I have no idea how to stop it. It turns out I don't need to, a sudden chill comes over me and the flames sputter out.
"Remarkable! I look forward to seeing what she can do." He doesn't look like it, the king actually looks pretty bored. I know this because I forgot to look away, though nobody seems to care. I catch the eyes of the man in the green cape and quickly look at the floor. "Now, we have another matter to attend to, do we not? In private?" Odin asks.
"Of course, Your Majesty." Eldmara replies. It's difficult to judge by her tone, but I think she's uncomfortable. I don't know what to do next, but I look sideways at Mina as the king stands up.
"Are we joining you, Father?" The voice comes from the man in red. His voice is loud too, but gentler.
"No." The king offers no further explanation. As they exit the room, my brain starts to process it all. Who were these people? Why was I really here? Where was here? I don't have answers. There's an awkward pause that almost kills me with anxiety. I'm who knows how far away from home, I now have creepy fire powers, and I'm worried about how I'm supposed to act in a royal court?
Mina looks just as uncomfortable, and then even more so as the two men on the dais step down and walk towards us. She performs another quick curtsy and I follow, nervous.
"Your Highnesses." Mina greets, her voice shaking.
"Please, when Father's gone, Thor and Loki is fine." The red cape one says. I assume he's Thor, and that rings a faint bell. The other one, Loki, looks a little more skeptic at abandoning propriety, but he doesn't say anything. Thor, Loki, Odin, Asgard, aren't those from one of the mythologies? Not Greek, Norse? Norse. My brain about blows out of my head as I realize that I'm in the presence of gods. Actual living, Norse gods. Though will everything that's happened in the last 24 hours, it's not surprising that something else completely mind blowing is happening.
"What are your names?" Loki asks. He seems more reserved than Thor, who's smiling exuberantly.
"Mina Dalgaard," Mina says shyly.
"Ally Pernix," I reply confidently.
"It's nice to meet you." Loki tries to say something else, but Thor interrupts.
"Can you do the fire thing again?" He asks.
"Um," I panic, not sure that I can. I reach for the same place inside where it was before, and both my arms go up in flames. My heart beats fast as the flames grow more erratic, or maybe it's the other way around. Thor seems entranced by it, but there's something deeper about Loki's reaction. He's intrigued, like he's trying to figure out how I make it work. I don't even know that, and I still don't know how to make it stop. I focus on it, willing it to go away. At first, it doesn't budge so I push at it harder, trying to snuff it out. After a great deal of mental willpower, it finally dies away. I smile, strangely proud of myself. Nothing like purposefully setting myself on fire.
"Can you do anything like that?" Thor asks Mina, who immediately blushes. Her eyes keeping darting toward the exit and the door that Eldmara and the king disappeared to.
"Not really, Your Highness. I was an apprentice sorceress before the High Priestess," she falters over her word choice for a second. "Took me in." Thor looks decidedly less interested, but I still have no idea what anyone's talking about. Thankfully, Loki perks up.
"Old Age magic, I presume? From the talismans." He gestures to her necklace and rings. "I'm a New Age man myself. Do you have an emphasis?"
I snap. This day has officially reached the point of too weird for me to just go along with.
"What?" I almost lose my nerve as the three of them turn to look at. "Magic? Who are you people?" Judging by my hands, I look like a wildfire, casting light in erratic waves all over the floor. "What the heck?" Mina looks appalled, Thor is confused, and Loki is hesitant. Interrupting the conversation was probably incredibly rude, but I don't really care. Mina is the one who breaks the silence that ensues.
"Oh, um, Ally is from Midgard. I should've explained more, but we didn't have time," she admits frantically.
"Allow me," Loki says. "I assume you're unfamiliar with Asgard?" I always thought that when I was deeply terrified, I'd cry or freak out like I did last night. Apparently today, I'm going with sarcasm.
"I'm unfamiliar with everything that's happened to me since I was abducted and got fire poured on me yesterday," I quip. I only slightly regret the words as they come out, and only because Mina is staring at the ground in shame. I can tell I've cast a pall on the room, but I'm not backing. Loki replies more quickly and with less awkwardness than I expected.
"Midgard, or Earth, is part of nine realms ruled by Asgard, of which our father Odin is king. Midgard is largely unaware of our presence, though there are likely still remainders in your mythology. We are more advanced in the field of science than Midgard, and one of those branches is more properly called magic. Simply put, magic is the use of one's life force to produce a result. The Old Age magic uses talismans and incantations to provide extra energy and produce more specific and lasting results, while New Age focuses more on temporary changes or tricks like illusions." Loki takes a breath before continuing. The look in his eyes changes from patient to uncomfortable. "The circumstances of your arrival, however…"
"Are matters of personal business." Eldmara's voice sends ice through my heart. I hadn't heard her come in. The king doesn't make a reappearance, their council must have ended. I panic, looking at the princes for help, but they seem uncertain, and I don't know why. "We're leaving." Eldmara gives no further explanation, and Mina and I are quick to follow her out of the room.
I walk nervously; I don't want to go. I have more questions, and so far there's only been one person willing to answer them. Just before we get out of sight, I spare one last glance at Loki. He looks angry, and a little bit sad. Then we turn the corner and he's gone, leaving me in the hands of an obviously offended Eldmara. As we board the boat thing, she turns to glare at me. I feel cold and my light grows dim.
"I'm only going to say this once. You belong to me. You were nothing before, and you are still nothing. You're a vessel for the Flame inside you and nothing more. Do you understand?"
I'm filled with the same rage as I was last night, but I have a little more perspective now. If I want to get out of this I will have to play along.
"Yes, Your Grace."