“Is it gone?” Solveig said, her voice hushed.
“I can’t feel it anymore,” he whispered back, like the monster could hear them.
Her thoughts mirrored his own. “That felt too easy.”
Neither relaxed their stance as Westley drew power and continued to block the ocean from flooding their ship.
The sea calmed, the rough surface smoothing out until it was as sleek as glass. It was not Westley’s doing.
He and Solveig traded apprehensive glances—this definitely wasn’t a good sign. Westley’s heart raced at the sight. It was stunning and deadly and there was no way in Hel this was over.
A ripple broke the too-smooth surface, small at first, flowing towards them.
Fear struck him a moment before a giant head broke through the depths and soared above, its scales a million different hues of blue, distracting them with awe before it let out an ear-splitting shriek.
Glowing eyes stared down at them, the height of a mountain away but narrowing at their target. Enormous fangs extended down as a forked tongue the size of a palace hissed out of the serpent’s mouth.
“Is that ... ?” Solveig’s question trailed off. He could sense her astonishment and terror as they took in the sight of the horrible beast.
The legendary one.
“I think it is.”
The ancient serpent of the gods.
A snake Odin cast into the seas of Midgard—deadly venomous and as vast as the universe itself. Its length was said to coil around the earth, creating tidal waves and storms to ensnare mortals to the depths of the oceans.
It was supposed to have died during Ragnarök. It was said that Thor killed it with a fatal blow of his hammer. But legends could not be trusted—as Westley was coming to learn for himself.
“Jormungandr,” Solveig breathed before the enormous mouth opened, its jaws unhinged, and lunged towards them.
Westleydovetotheside, narrowly avoiding being skewered to death by an enormous serpent fang.
Jormungandr lunged again and again as he continued to dodge its advances. They were losing the fight, and quickly. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep the ship from falling to pieces.
Though his magic was constantly replenished by the sea, there was little he could do as the monster whittled their sturdy ship to splinters bit by bit.
The serpent alternated its attacks between Westley and Solveig, never giving them enough time to fully recuperate. Solveig was trying to hold herself steady, throwing flashes of light at it.
Each burst cost her valuable energy, and her attacks weakened every time. Westley realized she couldn’t fuel her magic, sick as she was. She was probably more focused on not dying than feeling anything.
Adrenaline did that to a warrior, but the Vanir trained to not shut down entirely. He’d never given thought to what that might cost a Vanir soldier, to keep their emotions at the forefront in battle.
He’d spent his time with the Riddari, nearly heartless, and he couldn’t remember the last major battle he fought in—couldn’t remember what it felt like to take so many lives. He felt like the monster that attacked them now, without abandon, mindlessly going for the kill.
His stomach roiled.
Solveig threw a powerful blast of magic at the sea serpent, reaching out with tendrils of light, wielding lightning itself as the storm raged on. The scent of burning fish filled his nostrils as the scales sizzled from the attack.
She didn’t let up, using all her reserves to strike again and again, burning every exposed inch of the monster she could reach. Even as he tried to turn the sea against the monster, Westley funnelled the emotion of seeing her fight, his mate, into her, hoping that would bolster her attacks.
The serpent shrieked, the sound akin to frustration, as it was thwarted every time it tried to retaliate. But Solveig didn’t stop. He felt the weariness in her soul.
Jormungandr hissed and dove under the water, giving them a moment’s reprieve. Westley ran over to Solveig—she had dropped to her knees, breathing heavily.
“Get up, General,” he ordered.
She stuck her middle finger up. A laugh burst from him, lighthearted despite their current predicament. Only she could make him laugh at a moment like this.
