We went into the abandoned village. “I do assure one thing. I don’t intend to kill him.”

 

Bjorn looked startled.

 

“Surtur.”

 

“That’s how you take over, though.”

 

“I don’t want to. I’d just as soon see somebody sane who knows the politics here and then walk away.”

 

He looked at me. “I don’t know if there is anyone.”

 

“As you pointed out, you’re just a kid.” I looked towards the capital.

 

So, they were turning their fire into weapons.

 

Which meant what? Destroy the weapons? Destroy the forge? I wasn’t sure I could achieve the latter and the former, well, there were probably too many of them at this point.

 

Destroy the forge. That was a goal, if not a plan. That would at least keep things from getting any worse. I stepped into an abandoned house.

 

They had taken everything not nailed down. Except for a scrap of paper. I picked it up, looked at it.
Failed to read the script, so I put it in my pocket. It was probably part of a shopping list or something.

 

It was a reminder. Of course, shutting down the forge might be enough, which came back to getting rid of Surtur.

 

Why had he not thought of that?

 

Because he knew he would have to fight another war. Because he genuinely believed that, with everything in his being. Of course he didn’t want to destroy weapons, stop making them, or anything like that.

 

How had we got here? Because…

 

Because everyone knew Ragnarok had to happen and the fire giants had to start it. They were self fulfilling the prophecy.

 

Or maybe it was more than that. I rather thought I’d need to talk to a Norn about that.

 

“Bjorn?” I called, realizing I’d lost sight of him.

 

There was no answer. Frowning, I stepped out of the house and looked around.

 

No sign of him.

 

No wildlife, either. It had likely died or moved on. The fyrhund, though, was sitting in the middle of the street, looking a specific way.

 

“What are you smelling, boy?”

 

I didn’t question the fact that I hadn’t brought him here. He seemed to know ways between the Realms of his own.

 

Or maybe he could go wherever I was.

 

Maybe he was part of me, but either way, he was on full alert. I did not know why, so my hand drifted to my sword hilt as I went over towards him.

 

“Bjorn?”