The last thing I needed was another problem. I still went out for a walk that night. Maybe I was looking for a problem I could beat with a sword.

Those were so much nicer. Easier. Cleaner.

It was a shame that wasn’t what I found lately. I was thinking of other ways to steal the artifact when I got jumped.

Whoever it was was good. I ended up on the deck, but brought both feet up into their solar plexus, tossing them off with a grunt. “Not bad,” I called as I rolled back into a stance, trying to see who it was.

No aura. It was a rather foolish mortal. Did he work for the cultists?

“I have to stop you.”
“Stop me from doing what?”

“You’re going to cause Ragnarok.”

I circled, keeping out of his reach. “We’ve had this conversation. Well, maybe not you specifically, but your buddies.”

“We know now. It’s definitely you. You’re going to marry Surtur.”

“Nothing, trust me, is further from my mind.”

He aimed a kick at me. I dodged it easily. “Who the heck told you you could take me, anyway?”

“I can take you if I believe I can.”

“Uh huh. It doesn’t work that way.” I grabbed his wrist, mid punch, held him. “Now. Stop. Who set you on me?”

“A frien…” He stopped, realizing he couldn’t break my grip. “It…”

“Belief has power, kid, but not in the way they told you.” I let him go. “Just tell me who it was. I won’t kill them, just remind them that all they’re going to do by sending people after me is get said people hurt.”

“And you’re…”

“Not in the starting Ragnarok business. Also quite busy right now with an unrelated problem and not in the mood for this.” He was a big kid…he couldn’t have been more than nineteen, but now I had a good look at him, he was well over six feet tall.

“They said you’d think it was to fix the world. I’m not sure it wouldn’t, but we need to fix the world ourselves, not have it all wiped out…”

“I agree. Come on.”

“Come on?”

“We’re going to talk, that’s all.” He was already involved. “You deserve my side of the story if people are recruiting you.”