Aelfheim – page 8
by AndyOH! from on (#41QBS)
The creature chuckled. "Now I know you didn't come past Hel. If you entered a worldgate simply to get at a naked woman, you definitely wouldn't have been that much of a disappointment to her. At least not so that she would send you to me right off."
The wolfman glared. "Your tale is odd. The Aelfqueen must want you dead if that was her that sent you here. But why?"
The creature seemed lost in thought, then nodded. "Well, I'm of no mood to be her executioner. We'll speak to Father after he has rested. He knows about these things and it will only be a few days."
He rumbled, "Maybe you can be a decoy while I raid Hel's kitchen for beer. Maybe pizza. Mmmm."
Hans quavered as the creature bared its teeth at him. He realized it was grinning, but those fangs made it hard to smile back.
"What is your name, mortal?"
Hans faltered back a step. "Uh, well, my name's Hans, Hans Madison."
The beast stopped smiling. "Madison? A son of Modi?"
He suddenly raged, "Son of that betrayer, THOR!? No more talk Son of Modi. You die now!"
The creature leapt from its bed and onto Hans in a single bound, knocking him to the floor. It sank its teeth into Hans' left shoulder, clawed hands gripping and piercing his arms. Hans screamed in pain and terror. An electrical bolt threw them each to opposite sides of the room.
With a growl and a roar, almost laughing, the beast exclaimed, "At last, Thor's heir, come to do battle. Come Son of Modi. Come learn how the great Thor perished to these claws! Come feed me as his flesh did!"
Hans stood looking about for anywhere to run. "No! I didn't come to fight. I told you. I don't even know how I got here!"
The creature swiped at the air, as though catching a lie in the air and discarding it. "Fa! I had forgotten the stench of the Aesir, Son of Modi! But you reek of it!"
The creature charged at Hans again.
Hans grabbed a spear from the floor. It was broken off below steel langlets that should have served as reinforcements. It was awkward to hold, but it was long enough. And so he parried the first attack, lightning struck again from nowhere. The creature was stunned but lunged again, raking claws across his chest. Hans managed to block the next blow, and the next, electric fire flashing with each parry.
The beast hesitated a moment, breathing heavily. Hans considered that holding a metal spike with what must be an electrical storm raging outside, with his problem, might not be a good idea. Not that he could just put it down.
The next attack was slow and easily blocked. Hans thrust the spear at the wolfman catching it in the shoulder. Another electrical flash sent it tumbling back.
The creature down, Hans stepped back, gasping for air. Too out of breath to speak, he held a palm out to the creature.
"We don't have to do this, Man."
The beast failed to take the hint and leapt for Hans once more, catching the spear in one claw and striking out with the other, almost missing, he laid the left leg of Hans' jeans open, drawing blood once more. That hurt. It could have taken his balls off.