“I challenge you!” Surtur bellowed it to the sky. The dwarves, I could see, were fortifying the border.
Did Ebba and Jorun want to be there? I did not ask.

 

And Tyz’vel appeared. “Single combat? Really, how…”
Surtur rushed him. Dishonorable it might be, but he perhaps knew he was fighting one with absolutely no regard for the rules.

 

He knew what a demon was. And Tyz’vel generated a blade of pure darkness.

 

Thruor was right. Not much for the demon’s chances, but smaller demons, war demons, imps, were closing in.

 

“Let’s go help enforce the rules,” I said grimly, reaching for the reins of the borrowed steed.

 

Thruor grinned. “Let’s.”

 

I couldn’t believe I was helping Surtur.

 

I wanted both of them gone, to be honest. Tyz’vel was supposed to have been demoted and…

 

…but of course, he was trying to get his rank back with this maneuver. He would not get Muspelheim.

 

I did not like the idea of him holding it even for a moment.

 

He would not…and I charged into the demon hordes. My blade sang as a bunch of imps went down under the steed’s hooves.

 

Kanesha was following on foot, her own sword lashing through them, although I did not see the dwarves.

 

No, there they were, and Thruor, also mounted. It was just small demons. It was fun, it was perhaps not an honorable fight, but I hadn’t gotten to just shamelessly kill stuff in a while. Without feeling bad about it because they were just demons.

 

Just demons, and I dismounted to get better angles…they weren’t tall enough to fight from horseback.

 

Hooves flew next to me, but it was controlled, I trusted him.

 

I had to ask Thruor his name, even if I knew I had to give him back.

 

If we all survived. I took a hit, a nasty one, from demonic claws, my side feeling on fire, but I knew it wasn’t critical.

 

I kept fighting. I let the red film my vision – there was no reason to fight the battle fever in this situation. I still knew where and who my allies were.

 

I fought, but I was too busy to see what was going on between Surtur and Tyz’vel. And this horde would not stop just because their leader went down.

 

No, if they stopped, it would be because Tyz’vel had won. I did not want that to happen.

 

I wanted them both gone, but I did not want…

 

…I wanted the fire to flow clean again.