DIVINE CHAMPIONS 5: THE FROSTY FATES

SNOWING THE SERPENT

The cold wasn't the weird thing. It was quite cold in Pankhpur during December. But this was not a normal Pankhpur winter temperature. This was not just cold. This was Sweden cold. 

Mikael looked at Ishaan and his heart skipped a beat for a second. Ishaan's hands glowed bright reddish for a second. As if it was heating itself up. That is when a male voice said from behind, "No, Ishaan, this one's not here for you."

Both the boys turned, only to find a six foot tall man standing behind them. He was draped in skiing costume, with chained grey jacket, grey pants, woolen cap, and over-glasses. He rode an expression that gave away an energy of 'I'd rather do something else'. He had thick black beard, and behind the goggles, Mikael could see his violet eyes. He spread his hands, two axes appeared on them. Ishaan seemed to move out of his way. The man walked gracefully, as a trail of ice followed where he walked. "Ishaan, you know him?" Mikael whispered, which Ishaan denied. "The linnorm seems to have picked up your energy, Mikael." The man replied. Amazing how he knew the names of both of them.

Mikael was getting a very familiar feeling about the man. He was strong, muscular, and authoritative. Yet, so calm, and he seemed very powerful. And the trail of snow...Who could he be? And what was with Ishaan's glowing hands?

Before Mikael could deduce anything, the man let the axes fly, chopping off the two hands of the linnorm. Then, he ran and caught the beast by the neck. Slowly, ice started forming around its body, as the whole handless serpentine creature turned into an ice statue. Then, the man struck the statue on the ground, breaking it into a million pieces. Black smoke came out of the place where he struck the linnorm. "The linnorms hate me. Their king is a real bad boy."

Ishaan stepped up to the man, and asked innocently, "I know who you are." What the Hel was Ishaan talking about? How did...

"Very good, Champion of Sun. And who do you think I am?"

"I think it is better if Mikael says it." Ishaan said, "It's his family history." Okay, what on Midgard was going on? Ishaan turned to him, and asked, "Any idea, Mik?"

"What's all this?" Mikael was confused, "Is he a Norse god?"

"Mik, I thought you were descended from Norse gods."

"I am. But I've never met any of them. But what's with the 'Champion of Sun' thing? What's going on?"

"Mik." Ishaan asked him, putting his arms on Mikael's shoulder. "Let the boy rest, Champion." The man said from behind, as he took his glasses and cap off, "He's shocked and weirded out. Mikael." He addressed him, "I am Ullr."

"The god of skiing?" Mikael looked at him, awed and flabbergasted. He wouldn't have believed it had he not known anything about his family history.

"I'm not...urgh!" His face was full of frustration suddenly, "I am not just the god of skiing. How are you so stereotyped?"

"So, you are not the god of skiing?" 

"I am, I am." Ullr said, taking a deep breath, "But its just a small side of my powers. I'm the god of snow itself."

"Woah!" Mikael still looked at him, all flabbergasted. 

"Yes." Then, he turned towards Ishaan, and asked, "Any idea why I might be here?"

"Yeah, uh..." Ishaan said, taken by a slight surprise, "Um, is it scary times again?"

"Sadly yes. And I'm here to choose my champion."

"The last one?" Ishaan asked.

"Yes." Ullr said, to which Ishaan nodded. Then, he stepped away and stood a little afar. Ullr looked at Mikael and said, "Mik, I left my skiing trip in Switzerland for this. Which means that it is so important that a god is changing his schedule for this."

"Convincing enough." Mikael said. He had heard how gods were, busy in their own lives, too busy to meddle in human lives, and being the most important species in the nine worlds, their time was highly precious. So, if this was truly a Norse god, and that too, Sif and Thor's son, Mikael better played along. After all, after all these years, this meeting was happening for a good reason.

"There are things happening, Mik." Ullr said, "Things that are dark, that could destroy everything we hold dear. You'll be filled on the details by your friend soon, but for now, you are my hope."

"Hope?"

"I, Ullr, need a champion, and there isn't anyone more suited."

"What?" Mikael looked on, shocked, "How am I suited?"

"One reason is that you and I are very similar. Both attracted to winters, both very different than the surroundings, and both eager to prove our worth to ourselves. That is one of the two reasons why, I," He raised both his hands, "Ullr, god of the frost, choose you, Mikael Nyqvist, legacy of the great archer Egill, as my representative of frost itself. You, Mikael, are now, a divine champion." Then, he held Mikael's hands with his icy hands, and Mikael's hands started to freeze up, ice forming on them. Mikael didn't feel any pain, just the cold seemed to strike his bones. Then, just as Mikael thought of doing something to stop it, the ice seemed to pierce his skin painlessly, and hit his bones. It was still painless, but Mikael felt the coldness spread through his body. Holy Tyr's hand! Did Ullr transfer powers into him? And, Egill? The great archer? He looked at Ishaan , and then at Ullr, "What did you do?"

"My powers, at a mild level, are yours, boy." Ullr said, "Things are getting worse by the very second. Brace yourself." He turned to leave, but Mikael had one more question for the god, "How am I related to Egill?"

"I don't know that, Mik." Ullr said, with a sigh, without turning.

"But, you are a god." He looked back at Ishaan again, who signed him to listen, putting a finger on his ears.

"Yes, but before becoming a god, I was a demigod. Just like Bragi, I was made a god after my stepfather asked my step-grandfather to make me one."

"Wow, really?"

"Yes." Ullr said, "Despite having everything that of a god, I don't have their power of knowledge. I just felt my blood running through your veins, so I watched you."

"Your blood?"

"Egill," Ullr said, starting to walk, "is my biological father." And then, he disappeared.

Not sure if it was the revelation, or the incident on a whole, Mikael's vision shook. Soon, it got darker and darker, before he felt nauseous, and fell over on the ground. His last memory was Ishaan's distant voice, "Mik!"