Mimir's Well (The Oracles of Kurnugi Book 3) (4 page)

CHAPTER 7

            
 
A
s the sun lowered, the sky darkened, though it never colored the horizon the way a normal sunset would. It simply vanished as it dipped beneath the horizon. The perpetual fog that had obscured the sun didn't seem to affect the stars as they poked holes in the darkness. Henry saw what looked like a large hill silhouetted against the sky. It was the only feature of note they'd seen all day, and they headed for it and made camp at its base. The stars didn't provide enough light to make out any details, but he suspected it was covered with the same pale grass as the rest of the field.

              A dim half-moon arose into a sky and settled among the stars. He realized there were fewer of them than he'd normally seen in the wilderness. It was still more than in the city, but not by much. The wind remained constant and carried a slight chill, but nothing that would require a coat. It was as if this whole place were trying to be average. They took turns keeping watch, but the night passed without incident. When the sun shone in his face, Henry realized he'd fallen asleep on his watch. He opened his eyes and rolled over to face the hill. His reflection stared back. He yelped and got to his feet.

              "What is it?" Andromeda asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

              Henry pointed at the glassy bulge growing out of the hill. It was as tall as he was and almost perfectly round. The reflections were dark and misty. Cracks ran through the earth around the reflection and crept up the hill. Henry's eyes followed them up and his heart began to race. About twenty feet up, the dirt fell away revealing blood red scales and razor sharp teeth that had to be as long as his arm. The reptilian snout went up a ways beyond that. He looked back down at his reflection.

              "I think it's an eye." His mind reeled as he tried to imagine a creature big enough to belong to that eye. "It looks like something died trying to come out of the ground. I thought Hermes was exaggerating when he talked about things this big."

              Andromeda shook her head as she looked up and down the snout they'd mistaken for a hill. "What killed it?"

              "Old age?" Henry suggested. Andromeda glared at him. "I can't think of anything else that could kill something like that."

              It didn't take them long to find an answer to that question. A little ways off, they found a fist-sized hole in the hill. Flies buzzed in and out, and Henry had to hold his breath against the smell of rotten meat. He bent down to peer inside, and felt like he was going to be sick. The hole slanted down and went farther than the morning sun could reveal. After a few inches of dirt, the walls of the hole gave way to a white substance that Henry suspected was bone, and just past that, it became flesh. Blood and gore ran down it, and maggots as big as his fingers feasted on the remains. He looked back toward the eye and realized this hole must go straight through the brain.

              "I think this died recently," he said. "Within the past day."

              Andromeda paled. "Henry, if this thing hadn't died, it might have come after us."

              "I know. Maybe we have someone looking out for us."

              "But who?"

              "I don't know, but I don't think we should wait around here for them to reveal themselves." He kicked a loose pebble at the dead monster. "That thing might have friends."

              Andromeda nodded, and they set off again. They constantly scanned the area for more of the huge creatures, but it remained totally flat and featureless. Halfway through the day, a shadow that stretched all the way across the horizon appeared in the distance. The pair stared at each other wordlessly for a long time, silently asking the question of whether or not they should move forward. Finally, Henry put his hand on his hilt and nodded. Without saying anything, Andromeda fell back behind Henry, and he drew his sword.

              The shadow grew as they approached and after another few hours, they could see a canopy of branches and leaves causing the shadow. Something unnerved him about it, and it took another half hour of walking before he recognized it.

              "Where are the trees?"

              "What?" Andromeda asked. "They're right there."

              "I see branches, but nothing holding them up."

              Andromeda squinted and nodded. "You're right." She paused. "Does this change anything?"

              Henry shrugged. "I don't guess it does. Let's go."

              The sun was still high in the sky when they reached the canopy, but they didn't see a single trunk. The air carried the scent of fresh cut grass, and an occasional white flower sprouted from between the leaves. Though the sun only sporadically glanced through the branches, they had no trouble seeing. It was as if the air itself were infused with an ambient glow. Dead leaves crunched underfoot, and a peculiar peace welled up in Henry. The giant monster seemed like a distant memory, and even Idun's war became something far off that didn't bear thinking of.

              "Do you hear that?" Andromeda asked.

              "Hear what?"

              Andromeda had already pushed ahead of him. Henry sheathed his sword and picked up the pace to keep up with her. Before long, he heard the sound of running water. A few minutes later, he came to a stop next to Andromeda. A river so wide he could barely see the other side lay before them. A mist hung over it, and a few large rocks poked out of the water. It flowed so gently it almost seemed to be standing still. The Ormt flowed by quietly, interrupted only by a few large stones. He longed to just sit on the shore and watch the water flow by as it swallowed all his concerns.

              "What do you think?" Henry asked.

              "It doesn't seem to be terribly deep," Andromeda said as she tested the waters. "I think we could cross right here. It's not as if we're likely to find a bridge in any case."

              Henry shrugged. "I guess you're right."

              He took her hand and they stepped into the river. The waters went to just past his heel. They flowed around his boots, but never went in them. It was as if the waters didn't want to inconvenience him with wet feet. He took another step and began crossing into another world.

CHAPTER 8

            
 
T
he river was quiet and peaceful. The current lapped around his legs and washed away all his worries. A part of him knew that if he allowed himself to drift on those waters, he wouldn't even be able to remember what those worries were. He longed to do just that. The past several weeks had been so hard, and it would be so easy to forget, but no. He took a deep breath and forced himself to concentrate.

              "The river of forgetfulness," he said half to himself.

              "What?" Andromeda asked, shaking her head. "Sorry, did you say something?"

              "It's a story from another world," Henry said. "The Lethe is one of the five rivers bordering the underworld. It could erase all of a person's memories. I was just wondering if these two were related. Come on. I don't think we should stay here any longer than we have to."

              Once he knew to guard against it, the thrall of the river became nothing more than a gentle humming in the back of his mind. Even so, when they finally stepped out of the river, it almost hurt. His worries came on him like a flood, and tears welled in his eyes. He glanced back at the Ormt and for a moment considered leaping in and letting everything go, but when he saw Andromeda looking longingly at those waters, the feeling passed. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she blinked and looked at him.

              "I don't know what came over me," she said.

              "Probably the same thing that came over me. Is this it?"

              "It looks just like the other side of the river," she said. "The ground is a little more uneven, though."

              He looked down and realized his feet had sunk into a carpet of leaves. He bent down to brush them away but found the layer to be surprisingly thick. The leaves went down almost a foot before he reached the bottom. Beneath, he didn't find dirt, but instead a twisted knot of wood. He pushed away the leaves until he could trace the root all the way to the bank of the river.

              "Hreidmar did say the tree touched all worlds," Henry said. "I guess it makes sense that it would reach all the way to the river."

              "So we're walking on Yggdrasil now?" Andromeda asked as she brushed away some leaves with her foot.

              "That's what it looks like," Henry said. "Hopefully, we just have to follow those branches back to the tree, and we'll be able to find the Oracle."

              "That seems simple enough."

              Henry sighed. "Nothing has been simple so far. I wouldn't bet on things changing now."

              "We won't know until we try," Andromeda said as she began moving further away from the river and toward the tree that lies at the center of all things.

CHAPTER 9

            
 
I
t would've been hard to describe the branches precisely. Rather than being one tree, Yggdrasil seemed to be a combination of every tree that ever existed. One moment, sap oozed from the branches, and the next, bright fruit that looked like a strange mix between apples and cherries sprouted. Pine needles as well as leaves as big as his head and shaped like a star danced in the wind. Every once in a while, they came to a large hole in the ground with several roots snaking down it. He stopped to examine one and could just make out a faint wailing. He looked at Andromeda.

              "The roots touch all worlds," Andromeda said.

              "I wonder why Idun didn't just use the tree instead of trying to conquer Argath."

              Andromeda pointed at one of the holes. "It's only wide enough for one or two people at a time. It might take a year to get her army through one of those. Supplies would be almost impossible, not to mention the fact that if anyone discovered the invading army before enough people came through, it'd be an easy thing to destroy a small force and hold the entrance against anyone else."

              "That makes sense, I guess," Henry said with a sigh.

              "What is it?"

              "Nothing, I was just wondering if one of these roots could take me home. If they touch all worlds, they have to touch mine too, right?"

              Andromeda looked him in the eye. "Would you go if you found the way? I mean you came here to stop Idun. Would you leave without doing that?"

              Henry thought about that for a second. "In Greece, I would've said yes without a second thought, but now?" He let out a long breath and shook his head. "No. Idun has to be stopped. I don't know what would happen if she actually conquered Kurnugi, but it wouldn't be good, for my world or for yours."

              "Is that the only reason?"

              Her voice was very soft, and her eyes were deep green pools. He wanted to say it wasn't, but he knew he shouldn't. She wasn't real, no matter how much he might wish she was. Still, he felt his cheeks heat up, and he looked away, focusing on the leaves dancing in the wind.

              "We should get going."

              The next few hours passed in silence. Andromeda avoided meeting his eyes, and Henry berated himself for how he'd responded. He hadn't intended to hurt her, and he kept telling himself that as much as she may appear human, she was only a story. He searched for the right words, but he himself wasn't sure how he felt or what he wanted to say. A wide pillar in the distance saved him from having to address the issue.

              "I think that's it," he said. "That's Yggdrasil."

              He ran ahead, hoping she would follow. It took longer than he thought it would to reach it. Its size had made it seem closer than it was. The tree wasn't just big. Its size was almost too big to be believed. He'd seen skyscrapers that were smaller. For that matter, city blocks were smaller. Its smooth trunk was only occasionally marred with knots, and for a moment, Henry entertained the urge of climbing the great tree but hesitated. Hreidmar had said that both the roots and the branches touch other worlds, and the last thing he wanted was to end up in some other story by accident.

              Andromeda touched his shoulder lightly, and he turned, but her eyes were locked on a nearby stag that was reaching up to eat the leaves off of a low hanging branch. It couldn't quite reach. Its fur was a shade of brown so deep it almost looked red, and it had antlers so big they could almost be bushes. Lean muscles beneath its fur spoke of a lifetime spent running. The animal stopped trying to get to the leaves and looked at him, and Henry had the sudden impression that this creature was one of the oldest things to ever live. Much like Yggdrasil was the epitome of a tree, so this animal was a perfect deer. Henry took a slow step forward and drew his sword.

              "I wouldn't," a high squeaky voice said.

              Henry paused and looked around but didn't see anyone but Andromeda.

              "Up here," the voice said.

              Henry scanned the canopy above him, but aside from a grey squirrel moving from branch to branch, he didn't see anyone. The squirrel leapt down and landed gracefully in front of him. It chittered for a second, and then it spoke.

              "Duneyrr is a sacred animal."

              Henry's jaw dropped, and it took him several seconds to find his voice.

              "You're a talking squirrel."

              "And you're a talking human."

              "Well, yes," Henry said. "All humans talk though."

              "Oh believe me, I know," the squirrel said. "Maybe that's why you're all such fools. If you would shut your mouths and listen, maybe you would finally find some wisdom."

              "Umm, I'm sorry?"

              "Take what you're about to do. I can't think of anything stupider than trying to kill Duneyrr."

              "What?" Henry looked at his sword. "Oh."

              He swung the sword in a wide arc. It cut into the branch Duneyrr had been eating from, though Henry couldn't reach high enough completely sever the limb. It took a few seconds for it to crack under its own weight, and it crashed to the ground. The deer looked at Henry and inclined its head before moving to eat from the newly downed branch.

              "Oh," the squirrel said. "Never mind then."

              It scurried across the ground and disappeared down one of the larger holes. Henry peered down it and thought he saw a faint red orange glow.

              "Well that was...odd." Henry turned to Andromeda. "Do you have any idea what that was about?"

              Andromeda pursed her lips for a few seconds then shook her head. "I think my father once told me a story of a squirrel that lives on Yggdrasil, but it was so long ago." She smiled. "Sorry."

              "I guess it doesn't really matter. It's not like a squirrel will be a whole lot of use to us. I don't suppose you know where to find the Well of Mimir?"

              Again, Andromeda shook her head. "Every story I've ever heard says it's at the base of the tree."

              "Let's go around, then," he said. "There could be a city on the other side, and we wouldn't know it."

              It took them over an hour to make it all the way around, but there was just more of the same on every side. Henry was about to suggest they explore the caves when Duneyrr walked up to them and inclined its head. Then, it took off in a slow trot and stopped a few yards away and looked over its shoulder.

              "I think he wants us to follow him," Andromeda said.

              "Why not?" Henry said, and they started after it.

              It went halfway around the tree before disappearing down one of the holes. Henry and Andromeda exchanged glances, but only hesitated a second before following.

              An icy blast greeted them as they passed through the tunnel mouth. Darkness stretched out before them. Henry drew his cloak around himself, but felt guilty when Andromeda shivered. She had a cloak of her own, but hers hadn't been made by Hephaestus to ward off heat and cold. He started to take his off, but she met his gaze and her eyes narrowed.

              "You're cold," he said.

              "And you will be too, if you take that off. I can stand a little cold if I have to."

              "Andromeda..."

              "Look, Henry, if it comes down to it, I'd rather your arm not be numb from the cold if you have to use your sword. I'm just a little chilly. I'm not going to freeze to death."

              Reluctantly, Henry nodded, but he resolved to force her to take the cloak if this got much colder. He stood in front of Andromeda, hoping to provide at least a little protection against the cold. She mumbled something, but he pretended not to hear. He followed Duneyrr around a corner and froze in his tracks. In the middle of the tunnel stood a pile of loose rocks. A soft blue glow emanated from their center. He took several slow steps and realized the rocks had been stacked around a hole in the ground. A bowl of apples had lay nearby as if someone had left it as an offering, though it had been knocked over, and it contents spilled. The water inside the stones glowed and began to bubble. White foam took the form of a mouth and eyes with two bubbles appearing as pupils. Henry wondered if he was imagining things, but then the face spoke.

              "Henry Alexander Gideon, who crossed over from the mortal world into the lands of winter."

              The voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It made him think of his house back in the real world. Henry sputtered for a second before finding his words. "I take it you're the Well of Mimir."

              "I have been called such."

              "I have to say, you were a lot easier to find than the other Oracles."

              "The other Oracles were ends. I am but a means."

              "Okay." Henry drew out the word. "We came here to stop Idun."

              "Yes, I know."

              "I guess you would. How do I stop her?"

              "In all of history, Idun has never been an adversary to life. No hero has ever had need to fight her."

              Henry sighed. "So because it's never been done, you can't tell me how to do it."

              "You have spoken correctly. I cannot imagine. I cannot suppose. I only remember."

              "I didn't think it would be that easy. How was Idun corrupted?"

              "That was in the past."

              "And you're the Oracle of the Past. You're supposed to tell me about things that happened in the past."

              "I have told no one of nothing."

              "You've been helping Idun."

              "Idun drank of my waters and so gained insight into the past."

              "So all I have to do is drink?"

              The face moved back and forth on the surface of the water giving the impression of shaking its head. "Odin gave his eye and hung from the branches of Yggdrasil for nine days with a spear in his side to gain the right to drink. Idun, once loved by all, surrendered the adoration of multitudes and exchanged it for fear and hatred. You must pay a heavy price to drink of the waters of the past."

              "I couldn't survive hanging from a tree with a spear in my side for nine days," Henry said, "and I don't have the adoration of multitudes."

              "No, you must pay a different price, one which you have the capacity to pay."

              "What's that?"

              "You."

              "Me?"

              "To drink of the past, you must surrender what you are, all but the core. You must cease to be half of this world and half of the mortal realm, and become only the hero."

              Henry blinked, not willing to believe he'd heard correctly. His mouth went dry, and when he finally found his words, his voice came out raspy. "But Hermes said the only reason I could cross between worlds was because I'm partially imaginary."

              "Yes."

              "But if I give that up and stop being partially imaginary..."

              "The hero is not of the mortal realm. You must surrender your mortality and become a creature only of Kurnugi."

              Henry blinked. For a second, he forgot how to breathe. His heart tried to break out of his chest, and his vision swam. If he did as the Oracle asked, he would be nothing more than a story.

              "Home?" His voice came out as a squeak.

              "You must forsake it."

              "My parents?"

              "They have been mourning for their lost child since you first stepped into the mirror. If you drink, you may not return."

              "And they'll just keep mourning."

              "The future is beyond my sight."

              He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Andromeda. He didn't want to abandon her and the rest of Kurnugi to Idun, but the whole point of finishing this quest was to find his way back home. A tear fell into the water, and the ripples erased the face. He took a step back and shook his head.

              "I can't." He looked at Andromeda. Tears blurred her face. "I'm sorry. I can't."