MUSPELHEIM: MAXIMILIAN
When Maximilian drew his sword, Victor instinctively burst out: "No! Let's not get hasty. It took all three of us to take out a dragon like Fafnir. We can't fight out of this."
Maximilian sheathed his sword: "What do you have in mind Victor?"
Victor cracked a mischievous grin: "Learn from the son of Loki."
Maximilian was pretty sure Victor had gone mad when he told them his plan, both he and Skylar held their tongues as Victor shared his outlandish place. After he told them the plan, he ended it with: "Just trust me."
Maximilian watched as Victor ran down the hill, he watched as Victor yelled back: "When you see a blue fire, that's your cue to go for the door." And with that Victor scrunched up his face in concentration and shape shift into a fire giant, grey scaly stony skin with red highlights and all. And with that Maximilian watched him thunder off into the distance.
Next to him he heard Skylar speak: "Relax. He'll be safe."
Maximilian's throat felt dry: "It's just, I'm in disbelief at how quickly he's grown. I'd be lying if I didn't say how I'm kind of intimidated by his power now. But first and foremost I will always be proud of the person he has become. And I have you to thank as much as I thank him and me."
Skylar shook her head: "You give me too much credit. You inspired him, you kept him alive as a friend and in your support he could grow. And I think in return, in your mutual search for support, you found something more than that."
Maximilian stalked in his response: "Whatever do you mean."
Skylar stared back at him, unwavering: "You can't fool me Maximilian. I can read emotions, I'm not a fool, and you wear your heart on your sleeve."
The air seemed to buzz with that statement: "Skylar, I'm scared."
The girl looked back, running her hand through her white hair: "I'd be surprised if you weren't."
Maximilian finally broke: "I love him, is that clear? But I don't know what to do. I've never felt this way before. I protected him before out of duty and moral necessity. But he doesn't need me to protect him anymore. Now all I can do is watch and support everything he does, and I don't have a problem with that! I just wish he knew how much I love him."
Skylar sighed: "Odin almighty you're such a romantic."
Maximilian pouted: "Can you blame me? In Asgard everything is orderly and planned, nothing happens without Odin knowing. It's all gold and static. But Victor is always so full of spontaneity, passion, wildfire. I see myself as a rock in his turbulent sea, wherever he goes, I will follow, no matter what."
Skylar took this in: "Quite some words from a born leader."
The golden haired boy sighed: "Love's a wonderful and queer thing isn't it? Leaders become lead, duty becomes second to a soldier, and hopefully even wildfire can be tamed."
He was sure Skylar would have questioned him more into telling her about his hearts desires, but at that moment one of the fires burned baby blue. Skylar drew her hunting knives and Maximilian unsheathed Gram as they slowly descended the mountain. The portcullis was open and the drawbridge also down. Maximilian looked around in wonder as he saw 5 large grey/red corpses piled inside the guard tower. Skylar and Maximilian walked to the Center of the main courtyard and saw Victor sitting on a small throne twirling his black metal baton. Maximilian whistled: "You killed those giants?"
Victor narrowed his eyebrows as if it were absurd: "Pfffft... ridiculous. I just whispered to them to start killing each other, played on their resentments. An old trick I figured out as a student at school. Loki's gift makes that all too easy. Now, shall we continue to the throne? Because here comes my favorite part of the plan." Victor winked at the two of them with guile.
Skylar wiped the sweat off her brow, and Maximilian felt ready to hide in a corner for the next millennia. Victor brushed both hands through his hair, running them through the messy locks. Slowly Victor's hair lengthened and his features became more delicate than they already were, Victor's hips didn't need much narrowing, but Victor's chest began to expand and round out, his lips sunk a darker shade of red, and eye liner appeared around his eyes. In front of Maximilian stood a breathtakingly beautiful feminine Victor in a black dress, flowing charcoal black hair, more feminine features, and just slightly taller than before. Maximilian tried to avert his eyes from his now feminine friend. Feeling perhaps this was too unnerving and even a perversion of how he saw Victor.
Victor laughed at both his friend's discomfort, and in a slightly higher voice, effeminate voice: "Call me Victoria. Now I'll go divert Surtur from the throne and you guys take out the guards, should be easy when lord Surtur himself isn't there."
Maximilian felt his head was ready to explode. He didn't need to feel more attracted to Victor. And he and Skylar nodded as they sprinted for the throne room.
