Chapter Fifteen

I Was Partially Right

Magnus POV

I tried to wrack my brain around who could possibly be living in Muspellheim. They had to be either

A. Crazy

B. Evil

C. Both the above

Knowing my luck, I decided it was probably C. I glanced over at Alex. She seemed tired. Her face was grimy, her hair was greasy, and her body was gunky. Yet, she looked more beautiful than ever. Her brow was furrowed, as if she was concerned about something. I mean, sure, we were in a fiery Hell Hole. We had only a faint idea of how to escape and we were on a quest that was sure to end in our deaths, but I felt like there was something else on her mind. She didn't know Percy all that well (I didn't either for that matter) but it seemed to bother her. I shifted Sophia on my shoulder. She stirred slightly but stayed asleep. I reached out with my free hand and gripped Alex's hand.

"Everything's fine," I told her.

She dropped my hand in an indignant manner, but her facial expression showed gratitude. She secretly enjoyed that I cared.

"Yeah, I know," she muttered, eyeing our surroundings. I knew she was looking for the man in black. Surtr. Surt, as we called him. Honestly, he had a bunch on nicknames. I thought I had seen him standing above the fiery cliff before Percy fell. He had the power of Muspelheim flowing through him, so I was sure it was him I had seen. Alex pointed in the distance.

"I think I found our next destination," she said with a sigh.

There was a small hut perched underneath a mountain. It was made of wood and hay, which was weird, considering all the fire that surrounded it. Then again, I was technically dead and gods existed and magic existed; who was I to say something was weird?

I nodded wearily.

"I guess we should see who's inside," I volunteered. As we got closer, I woke Sophia up. I crouched down beside her, wiping fresh tears from her cheeks.

"Hey, uh, Sophia. Listen, uh," I stammered. I wasn't very good with words in situations like this. "Your dad is going to be okay. We'll find him." I felt like a liar. "Annabeth, uh, your mom, told me that he never gives up that easily. So, uh, yeah. Anyway, we're going inside this shack here. If you can sense any danger, run, okay? Just run and try to find a way off this realm."

Sophia stared at me with confused, saddened eyes. She nodded. I could tell she was scared. I awkwardly gave her a hug, burying her face into shoulder. I straightened up and took her hand with my left. I gave Alex's hand a squeeze with my free hand before preparing myself for what we were about to face. We stepped forward.

Inside the shack was rundown – as most shacks go. However, it was bigger than it looked from the outside. A wooden table ran across the middle, filled with baskets, potions, weapons and food. I looked up and the ceiling extended hundreds of feet in the air.

Magic hut. Noted.

To our right there was a doorway off center. I couldn't see the room entirely, but there appeared to be bed. To our left was a kitchen. The stove was still on with a pot boiling on the stove.

"Ah, you made it just in time for supper," a voice boomed, causing me to jump. I gripped Sophia's hand a bit tighter. A giant creature stood up across the room directly in front of us. I summoned Jack to my hand.

"It's like a movie, isn't it? The heroes enter the shack, a figure rises from the shadows, shit is about to go down, but the figure tells them everything is okay and not to worry!"

The giant paused, a smile on its face.

"Well, don't worry!"

He spread his arms out as though he were inviting us in for a hug. We stayed still. His face fell a bit.

"Introductions, I suppose. Breaking the ice is hard nowadays," he mumbled. "Anyway, I am Ymir, perhaps you have heard of me."

Indeed I had.

"You're the father, or mother, of all things. You're the first being to ever exist!" I blurted out.

"Right-o, kiddo. Although, mother and father is more accurate."

As Ymir moved to the kitchen, his tough, grizzled form took a more petite, feminine look.

"I am a hermaphrodite, Magnus. And yes, yes," s/he continued the rest in falsetto "'How do you know our names?' Well, I am a keeper of knowledge these days. I knew you'd be coming to see me. After all, I am the thing you seek and I created the thing you seek."

I shared a look with Alex.

"What exactly is it that we seek?"

Ymir looked upon us somberly as though s/he were looking at our grave plots.

"That wretched Prophecy. I am the First Giantess and Grendel is my child."