Hammered

bleeding well but not gushing by any means. Thor dropped his hammer and wrenched the sword loose with his right hand, tossing it away from him.
    » Ha! « he said again, and bent to pick up Mjöllnir. But his face, flushed with victory, darkened to a frown. The skin around the wound began to blacken, and then it spread quickly to his neck and down his arm like an oil spill.
    » Eh? What sorcery is this? « the thunder god growled. Those were his last words. The malignant rot reached his heart and perhaps his spinal cord as well, withering them and snuffing out his life. He fell face forward, already dead, the putrefaction continuing to turn him black and greasy.
    It was Fae sorcery, of course. A moment of stunned silence settled across the snow as the onlookers absorbed what had happened.
    » No! « Týr shouted, breaking into a run toward Thor, his unfinished duel with Zhang Guo Lao forgotten. » He cannot die! He was supposed to slay the world serpent! «
    Týr had just made himself vulnerable by giving in to his emotions—the same way I had a few moments ago. The emotions were still there and they wanted all my attention—grief for Gunnar and for Leif and for my inability to stop any of this from happening—but I firmly held them in check and concentrated on damage control. » Hey, Perun, we have to do something about Týr. See if your lightning works again. Thor’s dead, so perhaps his protection is gone. But don’t kill him. «
    » Is good idea, « he said, nodding. » I give him baby bolt. « Týr howled as a lightning strike shot through his body, scorching his skin and sending him into an epic flop-and-twitch.
    » Excellent. Now can you get a wind to fly us over there? «
    » I think yes, « he replied, and I stifled a grunt of pain as the sudden lift tugged at the arrow in my side and we awkwardly flew to the gory aftermath of the duel. The frost Jötnar were walking over to confirm Thor’s demise, and Zhang Guo Lao was casually paralyzing the helpless Týr with his pressure-point technique so the Æsir could bother us no more. Once past them, I had eyes only for Leif—my magical ones.
    The mess of his head was splattered across the snow, not a single bone of it left intact. Thor’s hammer had pulverized it down to the neck. But the red ember of vampirism still glowed faintly within his chest. If he didn’t drain out completely, there was still a chance he could recover.
    My bear charm was nearly out of juice thanks to multiple shifts and the strain of keeping myself from lapsing into shock and worse. I’d need to touch the earth if I wanted to do much more than keep from passing out. I nearly did when Perun set us down next to Leif’s body; it might have been a swoon.
    » Hrym, could you clear some snow away right here so I can touch the ground? « I asked as the giant approached.
    » Graah, « he affirmed. He pointed his ice club at the spot I’d indicated and the snow lifted away, piling up at Leif’s feet.
    I stepped onto the frozen ground and felt the energy waiting for me there. » Thank you, « I said. Magic flowed up through my tattoos, enough so that I could dull the pain, stabilize the trauma, and keep functioning. Dealing with it properly would take time I didn’t have right now. » I’m sorry for the people you lost today, « I added.
    Incredibly, the frost Jötunn responded with an indifferent shrug. » We lost some but won much today. Thor is dead. Ullr and Heimdall, Freyr and the Valkyries too. Odin is an empty shell. And we finally have Freyja. Usually we win nothing. «
    » Oh, « I said, unsure of how else to answer. Hrym’s tally of the dead brought home to me how much trouble I was in—and I meant beyond the arrow lodged in my guts. Once news of this battle spread throughout the world, a whole lot of supernatural folk besides the surviving Norse would be looking for me.
    » You were true to your word, tiny Atticus man, « Hrym said. » I will tell my people this. We go now. «
    » Right, yes, don’t let me keep you, « I said. The frost Jötnar dropped their clubs and shape-shifted into giant eagles. Suttung, bringing up the rear, gripped the frozen Freyja in his talons as they lifted off and flew toward Ratatosk’s hole in the root of Yggdrasil. I felt sorry for her as I watched them go. I knew I’d promised her to them to secure their help, but I never thought they’d actually take her alive and return to Jötunheim safely. I didn’t like to think what a tribe of