Chapter Twenty-Two:
The Truth About Cats And Dogs
On chilly night such as this one, Odin was immensely glad for the company of Huginn and Muninn. He pressed his fingers into Huginn's underbelly, giving his guardian attention and receiving warmth in return. On his back, Muninn's pelt protected him from the sharp cutting of the wind. Wolf's fur was such wonderful insulation.
He was currently crouched at the top of a small apartment building. It was here that he had chosen to meet Desiderio Oro Calavera, also known as Gerda, Senshi of Radiance. The location was secluded, ideal for transformations, and easily accessible by way of the complex's main stairwell. The downside was that it was several degrees colder and a good deal windier at this height.
Hearing the roof access door open, Odin looked up to greet his comrade. "I hope you are well this evening."
Gerda grinned crookedly at Odin, closing the door quietly behind him and giving a slight shrug. "As well as one could expect," he muttered, then shuddered and began to rub his shoulders, "although I think I just developed hypothermia."
Odin laughed lightly. He had a soft laugh, suiting his thin frame. Anything louder coming out of such a man would have seemed out of place. "The view up here is quite pleasant. Sadly, I forgot to check the weather reports. Since you are here, we can move down to the streets if you like."
Gerda paused to look around for a bit, his light ball held out in front of him to better illuminate the area. "You're right," he muttered. Moving to the edge and leaning forward some, he laughed and pointed, "I think that's my school over there. Looks less ominous at night, for some odd reason." Quickly scampering away from the edge and rubbing his shoulders again, he nodded. "I think I'd like to go to the streets. I don't do well with cold." he explained vaguely.
"I'm the same way," Odin smiled, leading the way back to the stairs. The blast of moderately warmer air that assaulted them was welcome indeed. As they made their way back to ground level, Odin continued, "So, I did not have the chance to learn much about you at the meeting. Tell me, what do you do? What are you studying in school? As a teacher myself, I am greatly interested."
"Currently, I'm in IB, aka Hell. Don't even get me started on my Theory of Knowledge classes." Gerda said with a laugh. He sighed with relief as the warm air cooled his chilly bones. His fuku really did nothing to protect him from the cold, or anything else for that matter. "What do you teach?" he asked, head quirked to the side.
"Classics, ever the unappreciated subject. In this era, I think it is exceedingly important for children to learn, but parents are more interested in the maths and sciences so their children will become scientists or inventors. A byproduct of the 'computer revolution.'" They had reached the building entrance now. Outside, the dim side streets beckoned. As he held open the door for both Gerda and Huginn, Odin inquired, "I had been meaning to ask, how old are you?"
"Viva la revolution," Gerda muttered under his breath, wry smile on his face. He turned his head to look up at Odin, smiling faintly, "Newly sixteen. Which means I'm young, hormonal, angsty. Only I'm not, so," Gerda concluded his sentence with a shrug.
Odin laughed again. "An interesting observation on your part. What about your parents? I'm sure they would be angry to know you're running around at this time of evening, accompanied or not-- Agh, I'm a bad influence, aren't I? This is a sorry thing for an educator to have to admit, especially one who teaches small children." Oddly enough, the thought seemed to truly unsettle Odin, who ran his hand across his helmet. Had he not been wearing the helmet, he would surely have been running his fingers nervously through his hair instead.
"Nah," Gerda murmured, shaking his head. "To my mom, I'm just another way to get child support. My step-father is probably still at work. Nana might be worried, though." Gerda paused before explaining, "Nana is my step- father's mother. She's great. Anyway!" The Spaniard grinned broadly at Odin, giving him a slight wink, "What the family doesn't know doesn't hurt them, right?"
"No. It can hurt them a great deal." Odin shivered, more from the images that conveyed up than the cold. "At least, it has been that way in my experience. You have no reason to listen to the advice of an old man, of course, and I must profess that I cannot say what is the best thing to do when it comes to senshi matters and family. Even knowing that my son is a senshi and being one myself I cannot protect him completely. And I have no knowledge of your family so what works in mine may not work in yours. But you're young, and you will learn." At that, he smiled again, shaking away unpleasant memories.
Gerda snorted and focused his eyes on the sidewalk. "Young and rebellious, huh?" he said dryly, then rolled his eyes upwards. "Alix seems like a great kid, though. Can't see him ever taking a wrong turn."
"No, I hope not, but even--" Odin stopped and spread his arms wide in a mockery of an American televangelist-- "the Great Visionary Odin cannot see what the future holds." He brought his hands back down, grinning. "Every parent wishes for that sort of ability. Then again, it might be worse to see the future if you are powerless to change it."
"If you know the future, then what's the fun in living?" Gerda countered, eyebrow arched. "You can't go through life taking every caution you can, always looking over your shoulder, all because you have a hunch. You only live once!" Gerda smirked at that and tucked his arms behind his head, "Or so they say."
Odin gave a small snort at that and started to reply but Huginn stopped him with a sharp, "Odin! I sense someone."
"Oh no," was all Odin could say. He had hoped to avoid a battle. "is he close?"
"Approaching. Alone." Huginn gave a bit of a growl. "You should fight."
Odin looked at Gerda. "No, I do not think that would be wise."
"Oh, no, no, no, se�or," Gerda warned, frowning. "Do not get all fatherly on me, here. You've only known me for about twenty minutes. If the guardian says we fight, we fight. That's that."
"Mmm," purred a voice silkily, as out of the shadow emerged Bastet, malicious grin set casually on his face. "Last I remember, pet, you didn't do so hot." he whispered softly, eyes on his claws as he puckered his lips slightly.
"Mierda," Gerda hissed and took a step back.
"And I do have a few bones to pick with you, after you lost me my last kill." Bastet looked up, lips pouty. "That's all right. You and this gentleman here will more than make up for it."
Huginn stepped between Bastet and the Noord. "Friend of yours?" the wolf growled.
"Oh, we're old buddies," Bastet muttered, eyes intent on the near-quivering Noord, who had chosen to step behind Odin for the time being.
"Odin," Gerda whispered sharply. "Look, just go, okay? Make a run for it. I've got an attack that can throw him off, then I can join you. But trust me, it's better to avoid this guy than stick around."
Odin shook his head. "No." He would not leave a child behind.
"Odin, go," growled Huginn, knowing quite well what Gerda was going to do. "I'll protect the boy."
Removing a clawed glove, Bastet gave the retreating form of Odin the finger. Odin blushed furiously. He doubted he would ever live this desertion down, but he trusted Huginn, who seemed to trust Gerda.
"I know what you're going to do, pretty-boy," hissed Bastet as he replaced his claw. "I know what you stupid little light ball does. You're not getting me with it." With that he swung forward, but Huginn's sharp fangs quickly bit into his ankle, and Bastet let out a yowl of pain.
Taking advantage of the situation, Gerda stood on his tiptoes. "Close your eyes!" he warned and with that, threw the ball right into Bastet's face. Bastet let out another yell as his eyes were burned by the sudden flash of light. He barely noticed Huginn release his ankle or the fleeing form of Gerda, who's natural speed brought him up to where Odin was waiting for him quickly. Panting, he grinned wanly at Odin and gave him the thumbs up. "I say we run another kilometer, just to be sure he doesn't follow," he joked.
Leaning forward with concern, Odin asked, "Everything okay?"
Gerda nodded. "Catch my breath," he wheezed.
"Odin!" snapped Huginn for the second time that evening. "We have another problem."
"Another problem?" Odin repeated, looking at the wolf. "What is it now--" He stopped. Standing directly in front of their escape route was a man on a horse. The dim light reflected off what could only be armor and Odin felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Nudging the horse forward, the man rode closer until his face was illuminated by the light from a nearby window. Gerda seemed to recognize him, recoiling from being confronted by his second nightmare. Odin wondered just how many battles the poor boy had been through.
"We meet again," the grizzled rider remarked, "and this time you cannot run."
"Poseidon," whispered Gerda, identifying the stranger to Odin and Huginn.
With a smirk, Poseidon dismounted and readied his speargun. "That's right, I am Poseidon, the great god of the sea, come to rain my vengeace upon you," he announced. "And who is your companion?"
Since Odin had nothing impressive prepared, he said simply, "I am Odin." Then, stepping forward, he mustered up what courage he could and said, "Let us pass, or you'll regret it."
There was a pause and then Poseidon started to laugh. This noise was rough and grating, nothing like Odin's earlier mirth. "You and what army?" jeered the Graikos. "That boy? That boy is nothing. He ran from me like a scared dog." Huginn growled, as if pointing out more than two Noord were present, but Poseidon merely laughed some more and waved his hand dismissively at the wolf. The "scared dog" jibe had been intentional.
Gerda breathing became labored and, without realizing, he grabbed on tightly to Odin's arm, trying to pull him away. "We have to go," he gasped, yellow eyes intent on the spear Poseidon carried with them. He began to shiver. "We have to go now. He'll kill us."
There was a loud stomping noise behind them and Bastet, snarling angrily, appeared behind them. "Not if I slit you open first, Noords," he growled, sliding into a fighting stance.
Stiffening, Odin tried to use his legendary wisdom to come up with something, but whatever powers he had once held in ages past were lost to him. He had to rely on his own wits. If only those hadn't failed him as well.
Before Huginn could intervene with some sort of instruction, Odin keeled forward, dragging Gerda with him. What their opponents could not see was the way the pelt fell from Odin's helmet and a single rune dropped from his hand onto the surface.
"Thurisa," said Odin, relaxing. The place before the gateway, where action ceases and contemplation begins. Sure enough, both Poseidon and Bastet were now statues. "Don't move," instructed Odin. "If we move, time resumes. We have a few minutes to formulate a plan."
Gerda froze, barely breathing. His eyes were wide with fear. He knew very well that they were doomed. "Odin," he muttered, "we are screwed." Quickly, he continued, "They're two immensely powerful fighters, and I have no more attacks left. Once I use that lightball I've got nothing left and I've already used. Only thing we can do is distract them, but I don't know how."
"We can try another rune," growled Huginn. Gerda was fast getting the impression that everything the wofl said came out in a growl, whether it was angry or not.
"It is risky, as I have no control over what rune appears," explained Odin. "I have another idea. You have fought these two before. Is there any way you can think of to get them to fight one another?"
"Easy," Gerda replied. "They both have egos that are large enough to tower over the Eiffel Tower. Get them to somehow insult one another. Don't know how we can do that either, though."
"I shall try." Odin readied his rune bag. "I'll draw another rune as a precaution. Are you ready?"
"Not really," Gerda muttered darkly. Barely smirking, he sighed. "but let's do this like Brutus."
Odin wondered what Julius Caesar's betrayal could possibly have to do with it, but he was already in the process of standing up so the thought was too late for discussion. Suddenly Poseidon and Bastet were moving, breathing beings again, and both were poised to attack.
"Gentlemen, I think we have a problem. Bastet was our opponent first, and we are obligated to finish fighting him before we fight you, Poseidon." Unseen, another rune dropped from Odin's hand onto the wolf pelt. Wunjo, the rune of restoration. The other Noord blinked as, suddenly, within his left palm rested his small ball of light.
"Slick," he whispered to Odin with a smirk.
Bastet looked smug and nodded at Poseidon. "Hear that, old man? They are my kills."
Narrowing his eyes, Poseidon's grip on his speargun tightened and his teeth ground together. He was not about to be deprived of a battle. Not after his last run-in with Gerda. He pointed the speargun at Bastet. "This prey escaped you, now it is mine."
"Yes, and I've managed to corner them once again. I found them first, so thus, they are mine to toy with and, eventually, destroy," Bastet growled. With a snort, he nodded at Gerda. "Besides, I've got something to... discuss with the pretty-boy. The older one is just gravy," he explained, as if that would help the situation.
"I have my own business with the boy," replied Poseidon. "Either relinquish him to me or I will take him!"
"I tell you once again, fool! The boy was mine first!" Bastet roared, eyes practically flaming.
Gerda laughed bitterly. "Folks, there is plenty of Gerda to go around. Or slaughter," he drawled quietly, just loud enough for Odin to hear.
"Enough!" yelled Poseidon, pulling the trigger of his speargun and sending it flying towards Bastet.
Bastet swiftly brought up his claws over the target area, so that the speargun would bounce off the claws. That, however, was not the case. Instead, the head of the spear puncture - and stuck - into the claws, with just a bit of it stuck in Bastet's hand. Crying out with surprise, Bastet looked, horrified, at the spear stuck in his hand. However, his well-trained mind soon caught on, and he focused on dulling the pain. Hissing, he tried to pull the spearhead out, but was unsuccessful.
Laughing, Poseidon let Bastet tug at the weapon. "Having trouble already? I've only just started. Let's see how this cat enjoys water! Sinkhole!"
The ground trembled. Scooping up his runes, Odin moved backwards, pressing Gerda against the wall behind them. Not a moment too soon, for the ground where they had been standing suddenly dropped five feet and filled with water. The Noord had escaped, but the Kemet was tethered to Poseidon by the speargun and could not.
"Shit," Bastet gasped, standing on tip-toe to keep his head above water and cringing in pain. With a scream of agony, Bastet pulled forward hard, and the sea senshi was caught unawares - he instantly stumbled forward into his own attack.
Of course, being the senshi of the sea and a former sailor, Poseidon was back on his feet in no time. The only difference was that he was soaking wet. More an embarrassment than a true injustice. "You don't like that, do you?" he jeered, grabbing the line and giving Gerda a jerk in return.
"I won't give you the satisfaction of hearing me yell," Bastet growled through gritted teeth. At the corners of his eyes, tears were forming. The pain was intense, even for someone who could ignore pain as easily as he.
Nearby, the two Noords were regarding the battle with the same interest one gets when looking at a car wreck. "Should we go?" Gerda whispered to Odin, eyes idly watching the battle.
"Yes," Odin whispered back, edging along the side of the sinkhole to where Huginn was waiting. They had almost made it when Bastet spotted them.
"Don't even move!" Bastet roared, eyes set on the Noords. "Don't think just because I am in a five foot deep hole filled with water I couldn't cut you to ribbons!"
Similarly annoyed, Poseidon turned and pointed at Gerda. "I'm not done with you!" he yelled at the boy. "Aethra! Watch them!"
Nodding her assent, Poseidon's horse walked towards the Noord, stopping a short distance away. She eyed Huginn in particular. Her hooves would make quick work of him if he tried anything brave.
Bastet winced as he felt his hand beginning to throb harder. The pain was truly horrible. "Look," he gasped, turning to face Poseidon. "Look, you take the boy, all right? Just let me have the taller one and help me to get this spear out of my hand. Do we have a deal?" Bastet grunted.
After a moment to think, Poseidon gave a brusque nod. "Deal," he grunted, retracting the speargun. It gave Bastet another sharp wave of pain, but the Kemet was finally free.
Bastet, mildly surprised by the lack of blood on his glove, removed his claws and clenched and unclenched his hand, just to make sure everything was in order. Upon finding it was, he turned and grinned evilly at Odin, his fangs glittering as if they were a promise of what was to come. "Hello, sweet thing," he purred and pulled himself up and out of the water.
"Odin," Gerda wheezed, taking a step back. His breath was starting to come short again.
Gritting his teeth, Odin dropped his wolf pelt and a single rune stone once more. He was running out of uses, and while the reversed Wunjo was useful, preventing Poseidon and Gerda from using any more of their powers, it was not the rune he needed.
Bastet grinned wickedly as he emerged from the water, sopping wet and coated in evil. With slow, measured steps, he approached Odin, eyes becoming maniacal as he felt the blood lust coming on. With a happy little squeal, he swung his claws upward at Odin, so that they would rake along his chest and possibly nick his chin.
Odin barely had time to raise his arms in defense, and even if he had managed, he was too inexperienced to perform the required block. Three lines of red appeared on his chest, splitting the sheepskin hide of his vest and staining the white lining. As it curved upward, the claw hit him in the chin, carving a nasty gash and sending his head snapping back. Blood, red and vibrant, cascaded down his neck. Odin saw black for a moment as he stumbled back from the brutal assault. The Berkana rune fell from his bag, but it was lifeless and had no effect.
Gerda, meanwhile, was not quite able to provide help to Odin, as the disgruntled sea senshi was fast approaching. It seemed Poseidon had decided to once again use his speargun as a club versus projectile weapon.
As Poseidon swung with his heavy weapon, Gerda squatted as close to the ground as he could and covered his hands with his hands. He could feel the breeze rush over his hair as the speargun arced barely five millimeters above his head. Poseidon let out an annoyed growl as Gerda quickly scrambled to the side, still crouched. "Look," he began, licking his lips nervously. "We're both human beings. I hope. Can't we talk this out in a calm and orderly fashion? Conflict mediation and that sort of thing?" The stream of curses that sprung from the sea senshi's mouth at the suggested seemed to mean no.
Not more than fifteen feet away, Bastet's sharp claws curved neatly to Odin's knee, hoping to make it more difficult for the Noord to dodge and, of course, kick. He would have succeeded were it not for the fact that his hand was knocked aside at the last instant by a streak of tan and dark gray. "Run!" growled Huginn, teeth sinking into Bastet's flesh. Poseidon's pony Aethra trailed behind the wolf, unable to kick for fear she would hit Bastet instead.
Thanks to Huginn, Odin was safe, for the moment, but that was of little concern to Gerda. Poseidon came at him once more, feinting with the speargun and aiming for a grapple.
Gerda, still crouched on the ground and faster than Poseidon was, rolled away from Poseidon's offensive and moved behind him. Remembering the slight limp with which Poseidon appeared to move with, he brought his elbow back and slammed it hard into the back of the Graikos's knee.
Bastet let out a yowl of anguish, shaking his arm about madly to dislodge the fangs that were sinking in further and further. With a furious snarl, he attacked Huginn with his claws, stabbing-style. The metal sank deep into the wolf's side, and the creature writhed and yelped, releasing the arm and backing away.
Gerda scrambled hastily to his feet and threw Poseidon a quick glance. He wasn't getting up any time soon. He ran to Odin, wincing slightly at the man's beaten condition. It took him very little time to get back to the task at hand, however, which was fleeing. "Can you run?" he asked quickly, eyes huge. "Because we need to go now."
Cradling his arm just behind Gerda was Bastet, who was muttering quietly under his breath about the stupidity of "mutts." Now he was not only pissed off, but he was wounded, frustrated, and aching for some good old-fashioned violence. Snarling quietly at Gerda's back, he took a few silent steps forward and raised his claws.
"Look out!" gasped Odin, eyes widening. He reached out to knock Gerda aside, but Gerda was just slightly too far away and Odin was just slightly too wounded, succeeding only in alerting his teammate.
Unfortunately, the teenager reacted too slowly and the claws raced down his back, taking most of the back of his fuku with them. Gerda yelped and grabbed on to Odin's shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut and hissing. Bastet smirked and licked some of the blood off his claws. He turned to face Poseidon and spoke jeeringly, "Well, well, old man. Guess I get both of them now."
Poseidon looked none too happy with the situation, having been thoroughly upstaged by the younger senshi at this point. He ground his teeth together and spat in agitation. From the way he was holding his speargun, it looked as if he was ready to attack again at any moment.
Odin could not let that happen. Crouched on the ground, pain shooting up and down his body, Gerda huddled against him, he knew he had to find a way out of this.
Perhaps...
Even though he was not standing and hod not practiced the attack very many times, Odin closed his eyes, straightened out his arms as best he could, and whispered, "Spirits of the Dead, Warriors of Forgotten Times, Spring Forth, Your Visions Arise!"
Miraculously, ghostly spectres began to rise from the ground, surrounding the battlefield. Bastet, eyebrows drawn, threw a hiss at the nearest ghost and slashed at it, and nearly stumbling forward as he claws went right through it. Poseidon was similarly perplexed, waving his speargun through the body of the nearest ghost, a woman dressed in furs and armor with a richly adorned helmet on her head. She seemed not to notice. When one of the ghosts approached Aethra, she reared up in fear, turning from the wounded Huginn.
The phantasmal dance lasted only a few seconds, but it was long enough. By the time the spirits had faded away, Odin, Gerda, and Huginn had disappeared with them.
Bastet roared in fury and slammed his claws angrily into a tree. "Dammit!" he cursed, removing his claws with slight difficulty. "Dammit! Those bastards got away again! And it's all your fault!" he shouted, a clawed hand pointing accusingly at Poseidon.
"But they were both yours," pointed out Poseidon. The smirk on his face was entirely too smug. "So you are responsible for losing *my* catch."
"Your catch, old man?" Bastet jeered. Snarling, he added, "The small, skinny one pinned you. How in the world does that make them your catch?"
A small point that Poseidon, never one to pick up on subtle details, had missed. "Yes, well, I would have had them had you not interfered!" He pointed a finger accusingly at Bastet, a vein popping out comically on his forehead.
"I found them first!" Bastet argued. "They were my catch and, possibly, my dinner, until you came along and ruined everything."
Poseidon's twitching eye seemed to be saying incredulously, "your dinner?" but his teeth remained tightly clenched and his finger still hung in midair, wavering slightly. "They were mine! And this is your fault!" he shouted at last, as if his repeating the point would make it true.
There was a long silence as the two senshi stared at one another, sizing up their opponent. With a shrill scream, Bastet leaped at Poseidon, screeching, "I'll rip you from limb to limb!"
"YEARGH!" replied Poseidon, that being the most articulate response he could come up with.
Several blocks away, limping and trailing blood, the mass of mutual support that was the Noord senshi finally came to a halt, or more accurately, to a heap, as Gerda and Odin could no longer walk and collapsed against each other.
"Odin," Gerda began weakly, not even attempting to push himself up. "You alive?"
With a deep exhalation, Odin nodded. "Are there any signs of them?" he whispered. Huginn looked up from where he was licking his wound.
"No. You could check with Wolf Sight, but under these conditions, I wouldn't recommend it," said the wolf. "I don't see or smell anything. We should be fine."
"I think 'fine' is a bit over an overstatement," Gerda muttered, smiling wryly. "I don't think I'm going to be able to move for the next fifteen minutes."
With a gleam of cream-tinted light, Odin detransformed, and suddenly Munnin was standing beside them. The wolf bent down and began to lick his master's face. Orell was a strange sight, a mangled body in an otherwise impeccable suit of dark blue, stains beginning to appear without any cloth tears to indicate how the cuts below had gotten there. Carefully, mindful of his wounds, Orell reached into his pocket and procured his cel phone. "I'll call for help."
"Cover your eyes," Gerda warned as he detransformed, a brilliant burst of light emitting from him briefly and eventually leaving the beaten teenager in civilian form. "Who are you calling?" Desi asked, as he pushed himself up with a groan of pain. "God, my back," he grumbled, reaching back awkwardly under his shirt to feel the cuts there. His fingers came back stained with blood and Desi sighed heavily.
"I think, under the circumstances, we could use a bit of help, so I'm going to call Cecily." His fingers trembled as he held the phone and it took several tries for him to navigate the miniscule buttons and bring up her number. Then came the wait, as the phone rang and rang.
A clipped voice answered the phone on the third ring. "Hello? Fiorenza flat."
"Ah, Cecily? This is Orell." He gave a small nod to Desi signaling success. "I hope I haven't disturbed you, but there is a small problem." Which went without saying -- his breathing was labored and his sentence came out in a halting fashion which screamed distress.
The pause was barely a heartbeat before Cecily's voice went businesslike and quick. "Right, then. Where are you and how fast do you need me there?"
Orell quickly relayed their general location and the nearby landmarks, but stressed, "I'm not sure of our exact location, we were on the run from them."
"Them? No, don't worry about it. Just keep out of sight and I'll be there as soon as I can. With that location? Ten minutes tops if I move it. Stay safe." The phone clicked down sharply without a goodbye, Cecily's final words still lingering in the air.
With a snap, Orell flipped the phone closed and relaxed. "She'll be here soon. Ten minutes."
"Should've asked her to bring some bandages." Desi said with a bitter laugh, nodding slightly to the dark red stains on Orell's suit.
"I'll be fine." Orell managed a smile that looked more grim than encouraging. Huginn seemed to have something to say about that, but kept his snout shut. "Not exactly the most successful battle," Orell admitted.
That seemed to drive Huginn into action. "And it could have come out very different if we had been more prepared."
"Huginn, please, not now."
"Now is the perfect time. They trounced us. All of us." The wolf looked down. His brother, the ever-silent Muninn, padded softly over and nudged Huginn supportively in the ribs.
Orell closed his eyes. "I am truly sorry. This is my fault. I should have protected you, Desiderio."
The younger man waved his hand dismissively, rolling his eyes. "Spare me the fatherly speech, Orell," he spat, sounding much harsher than he intended. Gently, he added, "I've been in more battles than you. I'm a veteran, sort of. I should've been more prepared and capable. Basically, we both screwed up. We'll do better next time."
Orell eased himself into a sitting position, wincing. "No, you are my responsibility. All of you. I am Odin, and I am supposed to be your leader, the great All-Father. Yet here I am, having trained half as much as the rest of you and barely participating in any battles. How can I lead you if I don't fight alongside you?"
Desi smirked slightly, crossing his arms gingerly across his chest and shrugging. "Leaders don't always have to fight. They're normally more preoccupied with leading. Besides, if you died in battle, knock on wood, we'd be 'great All-Father'-less. We need to be careful with you."
"So you think that is the reason behind it all?" said Orell, folding his hands across his stomach.
"Orell," growled Huginn.
"Never mind, then. Do you think you need to go to the hospital?" Orell asked Desi.
"I just need some bandaids and a new shirt," Desi replied, shaking his head. "Honestly. I'm just going to stop wearing nice shirts. You?"
"Fine clothes are one of the simpler pleasures in life, and I don't believe I will be giving them up any time soon," smiled Orell, eyes twinkling at the small joke. "Perhaps a trip to the doctor would be advisable in my case."
"He broke my nose once," Desi began, expression sour. "Bastet, that is. And Poseidon got me stuck in the ground with his speargun. That was fun. How much longer until Cecily gets here?" he asked, wincing as his cuts throbbed.
"Not long. I can sense her now," said Huginn. "Muninn will go to meet her." The silent wolf looked at Orell a moment with large eyes before twisting around and running off.
Orell watched his guardian retreat into the darkness. "I think perhaps we have escaped with our lives this time."
This time, but perhaps they would not be so lucky the next.