Surtur snarled, cursed, and turned away from me back to his army.

 

It was not an attempt to kill me or grab me, and I rather thought he had more serious problems. Of course I had not anticipated this.

 

Maybe I could let…no.

 

Hell no.

 

If Tyz’vel killed Surtur. If he came here. If…

 

I could not let that happen, but the demon would be unstoppable.

 

Which meant we had to do something now to close the gates of Hell.

 

Or get a message to somebody who could. I ran.

 

I ran back to the others.

 

“No luck?” Kanesha asked.

 

“The gates of Hell are open. I can feel them.”

 

“Here and Midgard,” Mike said, softly.

 

Perhaps he felt it more, being as he was now. “We have to get them closed. Before any demon gets any idea about taking over Muspelheim.”

 

“I wouldn’t have thought of that.” Thruor frowned. “We can’t.”

 

“There’s got to be a way.”

 

“We can’t close them here without inviting the Host into Muspelheim.”

 

And she was right. I liked Sarael, but did I trust angels as a whole? Not particularly, not to not try something of their own.
They were still harvesters of souls as Thruor was, but with a rather broader brief. Quantity not quality I thought with amusement.

 

“Who can?”

 

“Close them? Muspelheim itself, but with the barriers this thin…”

 

“So, we have to fix the overall problem.” I looked at her. She had smudge on her face. She looked tired.

 

When the gods get tired you know the situation is bad. I was tired myself, for that matter.

 

Mike frowned. “The angels might have to take care of Earth.”

 

They might indeed, but not knowing what was happening there. To Clara. To Zaid. To my friends.

 

But if I ran to help them I left Muspelheim exposed to the threat.

 

I knew then that this was the moment of choice. If I left, I decided one thing about my future.

 

If I stayed, then it might well mean I would stay.

 

“The angels can help Earth. They can’t help Muspelheim.”

 

Maybe it would be taken by the universe as only a tactical decision.
Thruor nodded. “Except we can’t either.”

 

And I turned towards two pale dwarven faces. “We can. And one way or another, we will. And then we will take care of Surtur.”

 

“Unless Hell does first,” Mike murmured.

 

“If that happens then…” Then the world would end in some way, shape or form. The world would, at least, change, and not for the better. “These people deserve better, Mike.”

 

“So…”

 

“So, Tyz’vel is with them.”

 

Thruor smiled slightly. “Coming here?”

 

“I think so.” I wondered at that smile.

 

“Then I have an idea.”