Heavenly Steeds

Anderson Streicher's face fell. It was hard not to when every weapon the man wanted was more precious and harder to obtain than the last.

Fragarach, the Sword of Vengeance, was said to have belonged to the Sun God Lugh mac Ethlenn before passing to the Celtic hero Cú Chulainn. Rumor had it that the sword was now kept in Buckingham Palace in the Land of the Setting Sun, and those people, still basking in their former glory, treasured it dearly.

They might let someone look at it. Lending it out was out of the question.

The god-slaying Spear of Longinus needed no explanation. It had pierced the Son of God and was sacred to God's three billion followers. Officially, it was housed in the Hofburg Museum in Vienna, but Anderson had heard whispers that the Spear of Longinus there was a fake. The real one had been moved long ago.

Like Fragarach, it was something people could look at but should never dream of borrowing.

And then there was the third weapon: Gungnir, the Eternal Spear.

It was even more storied than the other two, and harder to obtain. As Odin's personal weapon, Gungnir, the Eternal Spear held an extraordinary place in Norse Mythology.

More importantly, no one had heard of anyone possessing it in thousands of years. Even if Anderson wanted to borrow it, he had no idea where to ask.

Seeing Anderson Streicher's fallen expression, the man smiled faintly. "There's always a way. Think it over."

Reykjavik.

As Iceland's largest city and biggest port, Reykjavik was home to forty percent of the country's population and bustled with activity.

No one knew when rumors of a Sea Monster in the North Sea Fishing Grounds had begun circulating around the port, but they had done nothing to dampen the locals' eagerness to sail.

"Hey, have you heard? There's a Sea Monster in the North Sea Fishing Grounds. A giant snake. They say it even swallowed an Iceland Coast Guard patrol boat."

A sailor shared the latest rumor with his coworkers while checking a fishing net.

"I heard, but they say it wasn't a snake. It was the Norwegian Kraken, a giant octopus with countless tentacles. It dragged one of Yusenar Fisheries Company's ten-thousand-ton fishing boats under. Everyone aboard drowned."

"One of Yusenar Fisheries Company's Open Ocean fishing boats went under? Is that true? If it is, good riddance. That company brought people from the Eastern Isles into our North Sea Fishing Grounds to fish. Who knows how much seafood they've taken that should've been ours? I've hated them for ages."

"You don't hate them because they fish in the North Sea Fishing Grounds. You hate them because they turned down your job application last time."

"Pran Eddie, shut your mouth."

The indignant shout mingled with peals of laughter across the port, joining countless other voices in a symphony that belonged to Reykjavik alone.

But before Reykjavik's symphony could end, the sea beyond the city began to churn.

Wave after wave surged against the shore, throwing up sprays of foam.

The fishermen working on the docks stopped what they were doing.

"What's going on? Why are waves coming in? Is a typhoon on its way? The weather service didn't issue a warning."

"It's not a typhoon. If it were, the wind would be howling by now, and it might be pouring too. This definitely isn't a typhoon."

"Quick, look! What's that?"

Someone cried out in alarm.

Far away, a colossal shape rose from the blue sea amid the waves.

Black scales rose and fell like little mountain peaks, reflecting dazzling sunlight. A head too vast to judge by sight lifted above the water, casting a huge shadow even from afar.

"A... a Sea Monster."

"Oh my God. Someone tell me this isn't real."

"Run... hurry!"

The fishermen in the port stared at the distant behemoth in terror. Their gray-blue pupils contracted, then fear drove them to flee.

Screams, shouts, and shrieks intertwined. Reykjavik's symphony changed its tune.

At Iceland Coast Guard headquarters, the officials had been debating whether to meet the extraordinary man's demands and ask him to intervene, or simply seek help from the Eastern Isles or the Bear Nation. Then the news arrived. They looked out the window at Jormungandr, their faces turning ashen.

"Why has Jormungandr come to Reykjavik? Wasn't he in the North Sea Fishing Grounds? Why is he here?"

"Did he follow the fishing boats here, eating them along the way?"

"What do we do?"

Iceland's officials were frantic.

President Anderson Streicher shouted, "Brigadier General, if I put every security force in Iceland at your disposal, can you kill Jormungandr?"

Jormungandr had actually appeared at Reykjavik.

If he destroyed the city, Iceland would face far more than an economic crisis. The country would be finished.

"No," the brigadier general answered without hesitation.

Iceland had no standing military. Its defense rested entirely on the Iceland Coast Guard. When President Anderson Streicher offered "every security force in Iceland," he meant the police responsible for public order.

But without heavy weapons capable of harming Jormungandr, more people would only mean more food for him.

"You..." Anderson Streicher opened his mouth, his composure finally on the verge of breaking.

"This isn't the time for that! Where's that extraordinary man? Get him to help us, now! We can't let Jormungandr reach Reykjavik. Nothing can happen to the city!"

"He vanished after he left. The people I sent to follow him couldn't find him at all. We can't count on him now. Brigadier General, can you and your Iceland Coast Guard lure Jormungandr away?"

"Yes, Brigadier General. Have the Iceland Coast Guard lead Jormungandr away. Anywhere will do, as long as he leaves Reykjavik."

The brigadier general's face darkened. Lure Jormungandr away? That meant sending his people to their deaths. They would mutiny. Besides, the Iceland Coast Guard had only two patrol boats. Both could be wiped out before they drew him away.

"Wait. Look outside! What's that?"

The startled voice rang through the conference room, drawing everyone's attention.

They looked where the speaker pointed. Above the clouds, a flaming chariot rode the wind toward them. An enormous Svalinn Shield was mounted on its front, as though it were ready to charge at any moment.

Reins extending from the chariot held two magnificent Heavenly Steeds. Endless light shone from between their manes.

From a distance, it looked as though two small suns had appeared in the sky.