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An explosion rocked the earth beneath our feet, sending tendrils of smoke and dust billowing through the air, stinging my nostrils and clouding my vision. The dissonance of clashing metal and anguished cries filled my ears. I could taste the acrid tang of fear and desperation on my tongue, as it coiled and slithered through the ranks of soldiers.
"Kal...I lost sight of him..." William's voice was barely audible over the din, his face twisted with pain and worry.
“Dammit!”
Váli rushed across the battlefield until he reached us. "Are you unharmed?" Váli asked, his gaze flickering over me with barely concealed concern.
"Yes, but this man is gravely wounded," I replied, jerking my head toward William's battered form. "Has Rado been evacuated?"
"His family are being escorted to the docks," Váli informed me, his voice strained with worry. "Radorgirn refuses to leave; he is still the king, after all."
I could hear the disappointment in Váli's voice, and I knew that he would prefer for me to take the crown Rado was offering and become king. But how could I place that burden on my shoulders when my own family needed me?
"Please take this man to safety. I have to find my family," I implored Váli, gesturing to William. Váli hesitated, his eyes skimming between me and the injured man, uncertainty clouding his usually steadfast gaze.
"I'm asking as your friend," I said, trying to appeal to our shared bond.
"Dammit, you really do know how to play on the old heartstrings," Váli grumbled, relenting. "Fine, I'll help your dwarf father, but don't you die."
"I have no intention of dying now," I said, steeling myself. Váli nodded solemnly before scooping up William and disappearing into the chaos.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and death, pierced by the cries of the wounded. Smoke choked my lungs as I stumbled through the devastation, desperately trying to locate my familyamidst the carnage. Where are you?! Please let me find them! I prayed but not to any particular god. Hell, perhaps I prayed to them all!
"Kal!" I shouted, my voice hoarse from the smoke and ash that filled my throat. "Thor! Loki!"
My words were swallowed by the battle, and I felt a chill of dread creep down my spine. Time was running out, and I couldn't shake the terrible feeling that I might be too late.
The portal tent loomed before me; its structure reduced to tatters by the relentless onslaught. As I approached, a bomb whistled through the air and struck the tent, causing it to erupt in a fearsome explosion. I cried out in horror, suddenly certain that I'd lost them all.
"Kal! Thor! Loki!" My voice broke as I screamed their names in raw anguish and a rage unlike anything I had ever felt before. I turned my fury on the Undvik soldiers, cutting them down like the dogs they are.
As the tide of battle began to turn, I spotted a transport vehicle belonging to the Undvik forces. I stormed inside, dispatching the soldiers within before seizing control of the vehicle. I rammed it into another transport, sending both vehicles up in a fiery inferno. Diving out at the last possible moment, I hit the ground hard, gasping for breath.
The Undvik soldiers finally began to retreat, fleeing in the few remaining vehicles they had at their disposal. I coughed up blood, my body wracked with exhaustion and pain, but I couldn'trest yet. There was still one last hope - a chance that Kal and our children had somehow survived.
I staggered back to the portal tent, tears streaming down my face as I surveyed the destruction. The cries of my children reached my ears like a balm to my shattered soul, and I fell to my knees in gratitude.
"Thor! Loki!" I cried out, my hands shaking as I began to clear the rubble. Other soldiers, rallying to my side, helped me uncover what lay beneath.
There, amidst the devastation, was Kal. His arms protectively wrapped around Thor and Loki, shielding them from harm. Their faces were streaked with dirt and tears, but they were alive.
"Father!" the twins cried out, flinging themselves into my embrace. I held them tightly, burying my face in their soft hair, unable to contain the flood of relief that surged through me.
"Kal," I whispered, reaching out to touch his battered face. "We're safe now."
CHAPTER EIGHT
KAL
The chaos of the medical tent was unbearable – wounded soldiers groaning in pain, nurses and doctors rushing from one patient to another, desperate cries for help and prayers for loved ones. It felt like the entire world was crumbling around me, and all I wanted was Thorsten by my side. But I knew he was needed elsewhere, helping his people navigate the aftermath of the attack.
I sat by my father's bedside, worried out of my mind. His breaths were shallow as he lay unconscious, his face pale and drawn. I cursed our decision to come to Utangard, wondering why weever thought it was a good idea. We should have stayed in the human realm where it was safe. At least it was safe in Sahara.
A few feet away the twins slept on the floor. They were wrapped in blankets, their innocent faces peaceful despite the chaos they had just witnessed. I couldn't help but think about how their lives would be affected by all this. I wanted the best for them, but sometimes I wasn't sure what that meant anymore.
My thoughts were interrupted when a titan nurse approached William's bed. She was tall, with long blonde hair and pointed ears. Her beauty was striking, and I found myself wondering if every titan was as beautiful as her - I hadn't seen an ugly one yet.
"Will… will he be okay?" I asked her in broken Eotenas, the language of the Titans. It felt clumsy on my tongue, despite Thorsten's attempts to teach me.
