Blood Moon

Do not forget what I have done for you, child. It was no easy thing. Remember it. Was it worth the lives of those that you have sent to me?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eyvor gasped, her eyes shooting open. She was shivering, soaking wet. As she gathered her senses, something hit her hard in the nose and made stars fill her vision, and she jerked backwards with a yelp. “Faen!”

“Fuck!” When she pulled her hand away from her face, there was blood all over it. “Aw, shit, sorry.” Eyvor blinked away the stars and was met with Marc, judging by the accent, staring at her. “Let me look.” She tilted her head slightly while he poked and prodded.

“I’m fine,” she batted his hands away. “I–how do you feel?”

“Fine, great.”

“Good. Let me talk to Jake.”

“Oh.” Marc pulled back.

“Just for a second, Marc, then we can go.”

“Yeah, just–” His eyes rolled back in his head for a moment, and Eyvor shifted so she was sitting at the edge of the pool they were half-submerged in instead of kneeling in the water.

“What is it, rosa de sangre?” Jake asked. She hit his arm, making him jerk away with confusion in his eyes. “¡Oye! ¿Qué carajo?”

“Don’t ever try anything like that again, Lockley! Promise me!”

“¡Vale, vale! ¡Prometo!”

“Good.” She grabbed his face and kissed him, and Jake groaned before he cupped her jaw in his hand and returned the kiss. “I’ll kill you if you try that again,” she whispered when they separated, their foreheads pressed together while they breathed each other’s air. 

“I know, gotita.” She gave him a quick peck before shifting backwards.

“Elsker deg. Give Marc back the body.”

“Te amo, gotita.” He stared at her, and his face smoothed out and shifted, somehow. That would take some getting used to. She wasn’t used to them switching out just yet. She’d get there, though.

“So,” Eyvor said, holding out her hand to help Marc/Steven to his feet. With a groan, he stood up, and there was a pair of plinks, bullets dropping to the ground. Eyvor had seen the robes come off, but never on, and she watched in amazement at the strips of fabric that appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around his entire body, the cape draping down to touch the tops of his heels. She smiled. Yep, things were back to normal.

“All right. Here we go.” Marc then. Eyvor applauded, and his head turned to look at her, the glowing blue-white eyes fixed on her. She smiled.

“Impressive! I will admit, the old bird has a sense of style.” She heard the huff of a laugh, and she smiled wider. 

“So, you and Jake?”

“Mhm!” she answered, nodding in response while smiling. “Later, though. Who in the Nine Realms is Ammit? Or any of the other names you said.”

“Come on. I’ll explain on the way. Khonshu’ll be waiting for us.” Back through the tomb they crossed, and Marc gave her the shortest explanation possible, probably. Jake told her he used to be in the military, and it was showing, she thought. All the necessary information without any details.

Ammit was an Egyptian goddess who judged people for the choices they were going to make, not ones they had made already. She punished them for their potential evil and harm, unlike Khonshu who enacted justice on those who had proven to be evil. Harrow, the man who had shot them (Eyvor made note of his name), was trying to release her and probably already had, given the souls they had seen plummeting into the Duat (that had to be while she was still looking for them). Layla had been with them, but she wasn’t in the tomb now, so she had most likely gone to fight Harrow/Ammit herself, and Marc and Steven were both worried about her.

“One more question,” Eyvor said as she and Mark got into the last stretch of tunnels to lead them back out of the tomb.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve seen Jake use your armor. You have it on now. I’ve seen it stop bullets before when you got shot. How–why didn’t it work? Does Steven not have a suit and he got shot? It doesn’t sound like either of you to let that happen.”

“He does have one. It works the same way. Khonshu was locked in stone for turning back the sky to let us find the tomb.”

“He did what?”

“You didn’t see it? The sky went crazy.” She thought back as they reached the entrance, looking up into the fading light of day. Had it really only been one day? It felt like it had been a week, at least. 

“No. I was in Asgard.” Marc looked at her, and even though she couldn’t see his face behind the mask, she could feel the incredulous look he was giving her. “I couldn’t get here fast enough. Honestly? I got impatient. I used the Bifrost to get here. Heimdall sees and hears everything, so I just told him to get me to Jake. I might’ve been faster, but he’s a meddler, and Mother and Father were there to talk to me. Speaking of, they want to meet you–well, specifically Jake, but that’s because they don’t know about you and Steven yet. Don’t worry about that.”

“Your–huh?” She laughed.

“Try and keep up, Marc.” She jumped, reaching the mouth of the tomb and clambering up into the hot sand. A few seconds later, Marc did the same thing.

“Your parents want to meet him?” he asked, apparently not done with the topic yet.

“Mhm. Well, specifically, they want to meet den siste delen av sangen min, but that’s Jake, and you and Steven too, so they’re getting all of you, and don’t you try to hide behind them either, Spector. I’ll tell embarrassing stories until you talk to them.”

“You don’t know any stories about me,” Marc replied. “And I don’t know what you just said.” She grinned, mischievousness welling up in her. So this was what Jake felt like when he was talking to her in that language she still didn’t know. He also refused to tell her what language it was so she could learn.

“Jake and I have been friends for a long time, Specs. You don’t know what he’s told me. And I know you don’t.”

“Don’t–don’t call me that. Jake, what did you tell her?” He had pulled off a moon dagger from his chest and was looking at it. She giggled, dusting sand off of herself. 

“Focus, Marc. Don’t we have an evil goddess to stop?” Marc stopped bickering with the others, based on the one sided conversation she was hearing, and put the dagger away. 

“First, Khonsu’s waiting.” He pointed up ahead of them, towards the setting sun. Eyvor shielded her eyes and looked.

“I–you see him?”

“You don’t?”

“I’m staring into the sun, Marc. Kinda hard to see. I’m the daughter of spring and song, not the sun.” He twitched.

“Play nice, gotita.”

“Oh, faen deg, tvillingsjel.” He laughed, and then Marc was rolling his shoulders.

“Gotta get used to that,” he muttered. “Been awhile since we switched so easily.”

“I told Jake that talking would make it easier on all of you,” she said as she kept pace with him through the sand. “All of you need a break, in my opinion.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“I can take you to Asgard, if you’d like? Mother and Father would be happy to have you.”

“I–I don’t know,” Marc answered. Eyvor hummed and bumped shoulders with him.

“Whatever you decide, I’ll make sure it happens. You deserve to relax.”

“Thanks, Eyvor.”

“Of course. And I’m sorry I was so mean to you when you called that one time.”

“No, it’s okay. You were covering for them. I get it.”

“Still, I’d like for us to be friends, at least.” He looked over at her as they reached the base of the cliff.

“I’d like that too.” They climbed up together, their conversation halting now that they were near someone else. Eyvor had to blink a few times when they got up there in the bright light of the sun, but she saw the tall, skeletal bird with the staff standing in front of them.

“I thought Jake was just being mean about the ‘old bird’ thing,” she muttered. Marc snorted, shaking his head, and she grinned, letting him take the lead.

“Ammit has been released,” the bird said, somehow without a mouth to speak with, which was unnerving to Eyvor. She didn’t like that. “I was not able to stop her.”

“Layla turned ya down, huh?” Marc said, and Eyvor couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of her. The bird had no eyes to look at her with, but she could feel the condescension. 

“Marc Spector, I need your help,” he continued.

“Yeah, about that, how’s this gonna work, exactly?” Steven said, the switch between himself and Mark so fluid Eyvor missed it except for the outfit changing to an actual suit. She squealed, unable to help herself as she came over to look at it.

“Ah! It’s so nice! Look at you!” she exclaimed, and Steven’s glowing eyes crinkled; he was smiling.

“Steven Grant, I was not speaking to you!” the bird said.

“Yeah, well, we’re sorta a package deal now, so you gotta deal with that.” He looked back at Eyvor. “You think so?”

“You look great!” She winked at him. “I like mine better, though. I’ll show you later.”

“Okay!” The bird slammed his staff into the ground, and Eyvor and Steven giggled between themselves before they turned back to the bird. “Let us out of this thing,” Steven said. “We help you, you bugger off.”

“If that is what you wish.”

“Yep.”

“Steven?” Eyvor said, but the bird slammed his staff again.

“Who are you to interfere with my Avatar?” She smirked.

“Their girlfriend.” 

“That does not matter. This is more important than–”

“You mean that, Eyvor?” Steven asked, and she smiled at him.

“Of course I do. Unless you want to just be friends. That’s alright. Jake may not want to share.”

“No! I–” He tilted his head to the side for a minute, his eyes closing and the outfit shifting again to the robes.

“You’re botherin’ them, rosa de sangre,” Jake said, when his eyes opened again, and she giggled.

“It’s the most fun I’ve had in years, leave me alone. I meant it anyway.” She stepped closer, glaring at the giant bird before looking back at him. “I know Marc and Steven want to be done with him, but you’ve seemed to enjoy it, at least somewhat. And, I’ll admit, I like the idea of you having that armor, at least until I can get you some from home or find something to protect you all. I don’t want what happened in there to happen again.” She jerked her head back towards the way they had come. “Not unless I’m there to help you.” Jake sighed.

“They want out. That’s the important thing.” She mirrored his sigh.

“I’ll try to find something else, then. Maybe Tyr knows something. I’ll ask.”

“We are wasting time!” Khonshu said.

“For a god, you’re acting very much like a child,” Eyvor scolded. “This is important for them. The better they work together, the better things turn out for everyone.” She glared up at him. “If you don’t let them out of whatever deal they want out of, I will find a way to make sure that you are acquainted with my afterlife, and it is not as kind as the one you know.”

She received no answer, but she didn’t care. She’d said her piece. 

Jake’s head rolled as he stretched, and when he settled, it was Steven again.

“Right, so we do this for you, you jaunt on your marry way and let us live our lives, right?”

“I will release you.”

“I like the sound of that!” Steven said, nodding and obviously pleased at the situation.

“So, Cairo?” Eyvor asked. “I just ran across a continent, and I have no idea where we are.”

“You what?” Steven asked, looking at her with his head tilted in confusion.

“Later, solskinn. How’re we gonna get there, though?”

“You forget, interloper, that I am still the god of the night sky!” His voice got louder, but Eyvor wasn’t impressed. Honestly, he was worse than Thor. Eyvor jerked as the sky got darker suddenly, the full moon appeared overhead, and a gust of air started swirling around them.

“Uh, Marc, gonna let you handle this!” Steven exclaimed, and Marc’s cloak started billowing around him. Eyvor wrapped her arms around his neck, and he was thrown up into the air, the wind making his cloak act like a glider. 

“Hold on!” Marc said, and Eyvor laughed.

“I’ll be fine!” she said. Once they settled into a steady rhythm, she let go of Marc’s neck and shifted, laying across his back and using the space between his shoulder blades to rest her head.

“Careful!” Marc scolded. “Jake’ll kill me if somethin’ happens to you.” She laughed again.

“No, he won’t. He loves you too much.” Marc sputtered. “What? Did you think he was going to doom himself into the sand just for fun?”

“Just didn’t expect you to say it.”

“I keep telling you,” Eyvor said as she looked up at the stars and the moon overhead, “I’ve known Jake for a long time. I know him. And I know why he does things.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know him. Gonna take some getting used to.”

“All new relationships do.” For a while, they were silent. “Marc?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry for what I said about Layla. I know you still care about her. I just got defensive because you seemed upset at me and Jake.”

“It’s alright. You were kinda right anyway. Did you mean what you said about Steven and Jake?”

“When?”

“To Khonshu?”

“Oh. Yeah, I meant it.”

“But you’ve only known Steven for a few days.” She hummed.

“Feels like I’ve known him for longer. You too. We talked about you two a lot. Some of it was for emergencies, like that panic room you’ve got that Steven found. But we talked. He told me stories, called me whenever he was frustrated with either of you. I’ve been an onlooker into your lives for months. And–well, I was on the boat.” She let the implications of that sit for a minute and felt his muscles tense underneath her. “I wish I had known you then.”

“You saw–” Marc couldn’t finish the question.

“I tried not to look,” Eyvor said, “but I couldn’t find any of you, and I was scared. I only looked behind the doors that had sounds after the first few, but some of them were louder than others.”

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Marc apologized.

“No. None of it was your fault. I–you deserved better. All of you did. I just wish I could have been here to give it to you.”

“What would you’ve done? You were just a kid.” She huffed a laugh.

“No. Not when you were. I’m much older than I look. It’s an Asgardian thing. And if you ask how old I am, I’ll tell Steven what happened to his favorite book.”

“Aw, why–now he’s–” She snickered. “That’s mean.”

“I’m not apologizing. But I am telling you that you don’t have to feel like you have to hide from me, or explain anything to me. I don’t expect anything from you but companionship. From you, Steven, or Jake.” Marc was quiet for a while, thinking and taking it all in.

“Thanks, Eyvor.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So, that thing you said, back before Khonshu. What do your parents think Jake is? I didn’t understand it.” She smiled, not that he could see it.

“I’m sorry, that was me teasing Jake. He never tells me what he’s saying in whatever language that he uses. It’s a bit of a running joke for us.”

“What? Spanish?” Eyvor blinked and turned her head to look at the back of his hood.

“Is that what it is?”

“Yeah. What’s he say? I can transl–” His voice cut off, and he coughed for a moment afterwards.

“Jake didn’t like that?”

“No.” She giggled. That sounded like him.

“Makes sense. I can learn on my own now. He wouldn’t even tell me what it was. Then again, I never told him what I was saying either, so it’s fair.”

“What did you say?”

“They think he’s the last part of my song, is what I said. It’s how I explained how important he was to my parents. It’ll make sense when you meet them. Father is–well he’s not a very calm individual. God of song and poetry doesn’t usually mean peace and quiet in the house. And he likes to make dramatic speeches.”

“That’s–it sounds nice.” 

“It was, but sometimes I’m more like him than I like to pretend. But they wanted me to stay in Asgard for a while, since I haven’t been back since I first came here, and I couldn’t let them think that it wasn’t important. So, dramatic speech it was. I meant it though.”

“Yeah, I believe you.” She smiled, not that he could see it. They fell into silence, and she stared up at the sky above them, quietly beginning to hum to herself to fill the quiet. Making up the tune as she went along, it rose and fell, and by the time Marc told her they were there, she felt relaxed and ready to handle whatever was coming their way. In the same move that she had done earlier, she sat up on his back, gripping the fabric at his shoulders to look ahead of them.

“Hva i helvete?” she said. “I thought dragons weren’t real!”

“That’s Ammit.” They were staring at some horrible scale-covered thing that was walking around on two legs, standing taller than the pyramids. “She’s a crocodile. You’ve never seen one before?”

“No! That’s–are those teeth?!” She could see the gleaming white thing inside what she assumed was the mouth, and there were so many. 

“Yeah.”

“Oh, absolutely not. Kill it. That’s–” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “The things I do for you boys.”

“Khonshu will handle Ammit. We need to get those people out of here and find Harrow.” Eyvor looked down below them towards the ground, finding people running in fear from several others who were stalking after them.

“How many you think are down there? Is that twenty?”

“Maybe? Definitely more than you think.”

“How do I know who’s who?”

“They have a scale tattooed on their arm.”

“Noted. Hold on.” She flipped over him, looping her arms around his neck and linking her ankles around his waist. “Mask off, please.” He disappeared, his head still covered with the hood. “You be careful until I can get back to you. Jake, Steven? You too.” She kissed them, smirking at the face Marc made. “Find Harrow, and make him suffer.” With that, she let go, falling towards the ground while Marc continued to glide, breaking into laughter at the sound that he made in response to her falling. Twisting in the air, she whistled a tune, wind whipping around her and at her face, and when she landed, she was clothed in her armor, her axes in her hands. People skidded to a stop in front of her in fear. “No! Go on!” She waved them past her, and the people scurried away. The others, following behind them, came up short at the sight of her. “Now, to deal with you,” she said with a smirk, twirling her hand axes. “Who wants to go first?”