“How… how did you know?” Xain asked. He was not entirely surprised that the captain had figured out their eventual destination. Honestly, Xain had thought since the moment he set foot on the ship that Tryst had been able to see and hear anything that occurred.

  While the little park for Fen was a kind gesture, he had not fooled himself into believing it, or his room, to be completely private. However, the Heimdall Company was not Xain’s main worry, and with as many things he currently had to concern himself with, he had to be selective. So while he could have chosen not to speak of anything important for the entire journey, Xain also understood that option held its own risks. As it was, opening up to Vector in order to gain a sliver of his trust had seemed worth nearly any cost.

  “How could I not?” Tryst laughed.

  Vector had gone completely tense, looking at the captain through hard eyes, but upon seeing that neither Xain or Fen shared his apprehension, he relaxed just a bit.

  “For one,” Tryst continued as he turned toward Vector. “Anyone with even the faintest hint of understanding about that array you are working with knows how fuckin crazy you are to attempt such a thing, but also where it would lead you. And as for you,” he chuckled, and focused on Xain. “Aside from proclaiming it in the room Doris had set up for you, I knew where you were going before you stepped foot on the ship.”

  How the…oh. Bow.

  How else would he know?

  But that only raised more questions, like, was he in contact with his dad? How did they know each other? Did that mean he knew… everything?

  Despite the avalanche of questions, he knew better than to risk asking them aloud. If Bow had told the captain about him, he had to trust that whatever information was shared, Tryst needed to know.

  Xain quickly calmed his expression, took a drink, and nodded once, accepting this answer for what it was.

  He was happy to see the slight widening of Tryst’s eyes though, if only because it meant he could still surprise the man.

  “I am not here to dissuade either of you from this path. However, I will say that if I believed there was any chance of doing so, I would not hesitate to take it. Nidhogg has not made a public appearance in over 2,000 years. This continued absence allowed for rumors of her passing to take root even within her home Realm.”

  “While I highly doubt Nidhogg’s ability to die, at least in any way we understand, if by some twist of fate you actually succeed in your search, it would bring the full attention of every House to rest directly on your backs.”

  Tryst signed, took a drink of his whiskey, and added “More than it already is.”

  “I don’t understand,” Xain said. There was no way his little stunt had garnered that much attention. Or so he hoped.

  “Today, I have been informed that the Seeds bound for Hel have altered the port where they will disembark. They will now be departing in Niflheim to meet an envoy sent from their Realm, joining you and the six Dragonkin who are slated to take root. This alone is not uncommon, as Hel and Niflheim share a direct path between their worlds. But seeing as about two hours ago I was informed Niflheim plans to present you both with contracts to take root, I find it hard to believe these events are nothing more than a coincidence. While neither of you will accept the offer, the fact that it was made at all will be enough to make you stand out.”

  “What?” Xain and Vector said after a moment of shock, their sentiment bolstered by Fen’s growl of suspicion.

  “Why… why would they offer us contracts?” Vector asked.

  And how did you know we won't accept them?

  This, the books, the dinner, it all just added confirmation that Tryst knew far more about Xain than what was on his pass.

  “I don't know the details,” Tryst said, but continued as he focused on Vector once more. “Though I can speculate. I have no doubt that after hearing the details of last night, someone on Niflheim was able to work out your array, and guess at your goals.”

  “It should not come as much of surprise. You must know how long it has been since someone has attempted that array you are building, let alone how long since someone actually showed potential in achieving it. But that is only part of the story. There is more going on within Niflheim than you know.”

  “A fracture has been growing within the House. If Nidhogg were to return, such an event would play a large role in shifting the current balance of power. I won't go too far into details aside from warning you that a decision to ally yourself with any one faction would only serve in making you a pawn. You would be nothing but a tool for them to wield in a power struggle which has nothing to do with you.”

  “Unfortunately, if I'm correct in assuming you have no intention of taking root, your refusal will put you at odds with all the factions involved."

  “As for you,” Tryst said, turning to Xain without giving Vector a chance to speak. “I can't be entirely sure of their sudden interest, outside of the fact that, since the decision to extend the offer was only made after the arrival of Hel’s envoy, the two events are likely connected.”

  “If I were to guess, someone has figured out that the sudden arrival of Hel’s envoy is related to you and Fen, though I doubt they can figure out why.”

  “Wait,” Xain said, his head swimming. “Why does Hel care about me?”

  The look that Tryst leveled at him in answer very clearly said, do we really have to do this?

  Well I don't know who the fuck knows what!

  A week ago he was just Xain. No one beyond Bow and Fen gave two shits about him. Now he had somehow gained the attention of two Realms, and all before he had gotten off the fucking ship.

  And then it hit him. The Norns. They had mentioned both Niflheim and Hel when speaking with Bow, but at the time Xain had been too stunned by the whole situation for him to take particular note.

  Without waiting for him to connect the dots, and obviously using great care in choosing his words, Tryst went on to say, “From what I understand, there is a certain member of Hel’s envoy who wishes to speak with you. Someone who you have previously been acquainted with.”

  “Who?” Xain asked, honestly baffled. It had always just been him, Bow, and Fen. Well, except that one time but…

  No. He couldn't mean…

  A few weeks after his awakening, a girl had lived with them for several days. It had been so long ago, and Xain had been so preoccupied with his newly formed awareness, that he had not thought about it once since she left.

  Which now seemed odd. For one, after that they had never again played host to anyone. But more than that, once she had left, Xain could not remember Bow mentioning a single word about her brief presence in their life.

  It was over ten years ago, and couldn’t have been for more than four days, yet now that he thought about it, the whole thing seemed off.

  “Lilith,” Tryst said, pulling Xain’s focus back to the conversation.

  “Lilith?!” Vector burst out, showing more emotion than Xain thought possible of the man.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Thats what I am told,” Tryst said, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth.

  At her name, the wall Xain had built around the memory in an effort to repress the short visit broke, and he was only able to manage a single thought in the ensuing flood of recollection.

  Oh… oh fuck.

  …

  Vector was about to leap up and demand Tryst explain, when from the corner of his eye he saw how pale Xain had suddenly become, the change made even more apparent by the sheen of sweat on his brow, and how tightly he gripped his glass.

  Is he… scared?

  Vector was starting to believe Xain lacked the ability to feel such a thing. He had been nothing but calm when facing Tor, and found fighting a Jotun to be a way to blow off steam.

  Who could blame him though. This was Hel’s daughter they were talking about.

  Vector had only known of her in the way he knew of most other runic users who belonged to other Houses, which meant a combination of rumors, gossip, and reports provided by informants. It was basic standard practice employed by all the Houses in an effort to keep tabs on one another.

  So he only knew a few things of note beyond that she had taken root in her mothers Realm two seasons prior, and with her departure all of Yid had breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  While he had never interacted with her directly, the stories surrounding Lilith made her out to be something of a problem child, even among her siblings, which was saying something.

  But, she was Hel’s daughter. One of several, true, however if the rumors were to be believed, Hel had taken a special interest in her, which had afforded Lilith a level of freedom her sisters had never been granted. And no one in their right mind was going to chastise the favored daughter of the only remaining Primordial God, even if that God remained bound within her realm.

  And somehow, for reasons far beyond Vector's ability to comprehend, she apparently knew Xain.

  Had this been any other conversation, Vector would have dismissed the captain’s story as bullshit, but Vector was quickly learning that nothing about Xain was as it seemed at first glance.

  “So…” Vector said, turning to Tryst, only barely able to hide the quiver in his voice as he continued, “What does this all mean?”

  “Im glad you asked,” Tryst said, as he met Vector’s gaze.

  “While I cannot make your decisions for you, I would suggest you carefully think about how you plan to continue. Within the last two days, you two have managed to garner more attention than I thought possible. That will only increase if you actually find the First Dragon. Right now, Asgard may be willing to write you off as a loss. But that will not remain true for long.”

  “Word will soon reach the other realms of Niflheim's offer, and I suspect when it does, it will not be the last. This will only serve to remind Asgard of your continued existence, and eventually, they will take action, if only to deny other realms the chance to sign you.”

  “Im sure you thought about this before you made your choice, but I would hate to see you killed just because of Asgard's pride.”

  “Then… what do I do?” What do we do?” Vector asked. He had known this was the likely outcome, but having heard it allowed somehow made it more real.

  “Well, no matter what interest Hel has in our friend here, it won't change things for him. You, on the other hand, have a choice to make. You can apologize, and hope Asgard takes you back. You can accept one of the other offers, and switch masters, and hope not to die. Or, you can take these,” Tryst said, as he pulled out a box, and gently opened it to reveal several rows of vials Vector instantly recognized as Sap. “And you can disappear. The only way you will survive until you get strong enough that killing you becomes more trouble than it's worth, is if no one knows about it.”

  “But,” Tryst said, snapping the box closed, “These come with their own cost. If you want the Sao, you have to stay with him,” he finished, nodding over at Xain.

  “I… I dont understand,” Vector said, looking between the box of vials, Xain who was still staring off blankly, and Fen who had turned his full attention toward him in a way that made it clear the wolf knew exactly what the fuck was going on.

  “I know,” Tryst said, his smile turning sad for a moment before he continued, “Look, I can't tell you much. It's not my place. But I can say, the three of you need each other. Things will become more clear in Niflheim. Unfortunately, this is a choice you need to make now.”

  “I won't fault you if you get up, walk out of here, and never think about any of this again.”

  That's a lie.

  “But I can tell you with absolute certainty, if you want to finish that array, he is your best chance.”

  But that wasn't…

  Vector glanced at Xain who seemed to finally be recovering from his shock, and back at the box.

  He’s telling me to become Unread.

  The intent was clear enough. Those vials were not normal Sap. They had been distilled, and from what he could tell, were likely enough to get both him and Xain into the Elder ranks. He was offering Vector a fortune.

  His own wealth was in the form of pure Sap reserves stored in banks within each of the Nine Realms. But turning that into Sap which could be used for the Blaze was a process unto itself. He had planned to rely on Yid for as long as he could, but that had always come with risks. Yid and Asgard had a relationship that was too close for Vector’s comfort.

  The 10th realm was, ostensibly, neutral in the political affairs of the other Realms. However Vector well knew this to be a lie, and had long been aware of the possibility that his choice would put him at odds with Yid. But becoming an Unread posed a whole other set of problems.

  It was an open secret that, for a variety of reasons, those who walked the Path would sometimes slip out of the view of Yid and its Valkyries, opting to grow their array without oversight. Such a thing was of course banned, and if they were caught before reaching the rank of Elder, the consequences could be quite severe. Upon reaching the upper ranks though, there was little that could be done. Elders followed different rules from the rest. Even Yid, unless one directly entered their domain, had few options for recourse once a user gained enough power.

  Had this been Xain’s plan from the beginning? And was Tryst in on it?

  Who was this fucking guy?

  And what did he have to do with Vector’s array?

  There were too many questions. Vector had planned out things so carefully. He had not made a single move without thinking through every outcome. And now he was being asked to make a decision basically blind.

  Tryst obviously knew more than he was willing to share, but whatever it was, it meant he was willing to part with enough Sap he could buy an estate in Yid’s capital, and still have enough to live a life of luxury.

  “Hey,” Xain said, obviously just now catching up in the conversation.

  “Don't I get a say in this?”

  The growl from Fen, accompanied by the glare from Tryst, was answer enough, but Vector ignored them both as he turned to Xain and asked “Whatever is going on with you, if I join, is it going to get me killed?”

  Xain focused on him, his face moving through a range of emotions, before setting in a sort of reluctant defeat, and said “I don't know. Probably. I mean… probably.”

  Vector nodded, accepting this, and turned back to Tryst.

  “We will need to die. You know that, right?”

  Tryst met his eyes, a smile growing as he nodded, and said “I think that can be managed.”

  …

  Die? What the fuck was Vector talking about? And was that a yes?

  Xain had been so caught up in the sudden flood of memories he had only been half listening to the conversation between Vector and Tryst, but when he finally understood what was happening, he realized it was already out of his hands.

  It was becoming increasingly clear that Bow had followed through on providing him some aid from afar, though how his dad had managed this, or how far his help went, was still a mystery. He found it hard to believe that Vector had been part of the plan, but honestly he had no way of knowing.

  Had it not been for Fen’s growl, Xain would have thought the whole thing was a bad joke. But he trusted his wolf more than himself, and if Fen said this was right, well then it was.

  Bow said Fen would guide me.

  He had thought that would be more literal, like showing him the location of the hidden paths, but with how things had gone so far, Xain couldn't be sure of anything.

  “Alright,” Vector said, his expression turning resolved.

  “I agree. But under one condition,” he continued, and faced Xain.

  “When we get to Niflheim, you tell me exactly what in Hel’s realm is going on.”

  Xain was about to agree when Bow’s warning flashed through his mind. How was he supposed to tell Vector, when he couldn't talk about it?

  Luckily, Tryst saved him as he said “Things will become if you are able to reach the Dragon.”

  Vector was silent for a moment, and Xain almost thought he was going to back out, until he nodded and said “Fine. Then I suppose, that makes us partners. Or, what did you call it? Ah, that's right. A pack.”