章 43: Ch.43

(Matt Pov)

Walking into the icy wasteland that was where Höðr resided with my other well. As I walked further into the wasteland the feeling of unease and hate filled me. Pushing those feelings away I walked further on. Eventually arriving at the well in this place and not seeing Höðr anywhere. Warily walking towards the well and keeping a look at my surroundings, until I feel something rapidly approaching me from behind. Jumping to the side as an ice-like arrow flew past me and exploded into ice shards a few feet in front of me. At the same time, my surroundings became filled with a snowstorm making everything difficult to see. Knowing this is my landscape I stop the snowstorm and see Höðr standing by the well with his arms crossed looking at me with indifference.

"So you defeated my brother, I'm hoping that means you are going to embrace this side of you. Though I suppose you are here to defeat me too and claim this power as yours," Höðr says to me still standing by the well with his indifferent look.

"Yes, I would ask you to surrender, but assume that you won't. If that is the case then are we going to fight for this prize?" I ask him and he just has a small smirk on his face.

"We can fight for the prize, though you will have to use your ice bear form. Then you must defeat each creature that appears, before defeating me in combat. If you can do that, then I will submit this power to you and if I win, then you embrace this side of you," Höðr says to me with a cruel look on his face and for a split second, I see a playful look on his face. Giving him a hard look, I nod and shift into my ice bear form. Since I haven't used this form as much as my werebear form the emotions are more pronounced but I can now somewhat control them easier.

After turning Höðr disappears and the icy snowstorm reappears, though this time no matter how much I try to dissipate it, it remains making me wary. After a few seconds of watching my surroundings with extreme tension, a dozen giant white wolves twice the size of the wolves of the Quileute tribe appear through the storm. Like me with each breath ice shards come out of their mouth even in this icy snowstorm. Rearing up on my hind legs I let out a roar stopping the wolves in their tracks after surrounding me. Making each hesitate for a few seconds, using that hesitation I charge the one in front of me.

Reaching the wolf before it or the others can react in time, I swipe my one paw at it and cut through it like butter. Beheading the wolf, as its body slumps to the ground and turns to ice. Now the other wolves charge me and jump biting into my back and hind legs, as some others try to distract me from the front. The others jumping towards me trying to bite me from the front, while four are on my back biting into me. Swiping at the ones in front of me though they are more agile than me and duck under my swings. Feeling the pain from the wolves jumping on my back and biting me, the anger making me use the ice powers instinctively, which I never really used before. Like a porcupine ice spikes appear out of my fur everywhere and pierce the wolves on my back, killing them and making their bodies turn to ice too. The few remaining wolves all jump back away from me and circle me once again.

Following my instincts, I release a torrent of ice out of my mouth and completely engulf five more unsuspecting wolves. The after-effects leave a completely covered ice wave and trapped wolves inside which turn to ice inside the wave. The remaining wolves all take hit-and-run bites at me now, dodging all my swipes at them and breathing torrents. After what feels like an hour of chasing them around in this snowstorm and getting annoyed, I try to use my mindscape again. I still can't control the storm but after letting the wolves get close to me I create a wall three times my size in height, so more than a hundred feet tall, surrounding us. Trapping them inside it with me and with each second the wall gets smaller in diameter forcing them closer to me. Seeing the inevitable they all try attacking me at once with two biting my ankles, and the last one trying to jump and bite my neck. Slamming the one jumping at me and sending ice spikes through my ankles killing the wolves biting me. Stepping on the wolf I slammed down shattering it into thousands of ice shards. Breaking apart my wall and roaring in victory, I wait for the next beast, beasts, or whatever Höðr decides to send.

Not waiting more than a few seconds does five jötunn (ice giants) coming running through the storm, each my height on all fours (20ft, 6.1meters). They are each wielding ice clubs, except one with a two handed ice axe and makeshift armor. That one is standing in the back watching the others charge me. Tanking the hits from the lesser ice giants, I swipe my paws killing two by cutting through them. The other two look scared but before they can escape I turn to them and cut them in half with my paws like the first two. As I turn back to their leader he is already charging at me and brings down his ice axe, which does cut into me but nothing more than a scratch. Growling in anger and the surprise on his face at not doing much damage, I bite towards his head and crush it in my mouth.

"A God?!" I hear right before killing the jötunn. Which surprises me slightly. Before I can process anymore what I heard, I see a giant black wolf the same size as me that I recognize as Fenrir. Riding on top of the wolf I see Höðr.

"That damn jötunn ruining the surprise, oh well. Guess the jig is up, let's have some fun my son," I hear Höðr say entering the area and patting Fenrir, but see his appearance change into Loki.

'Fuck was Höðr really Loki the whole time?!' Say out loud but sound like a bear.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't notice, then again what kinda god of trickery would I be if you could see through it?" the once Höðr and now Loki says smirking at me and jumping down from Fenrir as it growls at me.

"Enough talking! Let's see if you can join us!" Loki says confusing me further and Fenrir charges at me before I can think any further.

My surprise lets Fenrir tackle me as it bites into my shoulder drawing blood. As Fenrir tackles me I lost sight of Loki and don't really care as I have a super world ending wolf in front of me. Using my strength I stand up on my hind legs lifting Fenrir in the air as it is biting into my shoulder. Roaring I grab onto Fenrir ripping him off me and tearing a chunk of my flesh with him. As I'm holding him in front of me he is biting at me furiously and his legs flailing, with the anger I slam him on the ground. Shaking the area and cracking the ground from the power of my slam. With a yelp as the slam knocks the air out of his lungs, I swipe at him cutting into Fenrir and he scrambles away from me bleeding. Standing on my hind legs I roar my defiance at him and Fenrir growls at me in a position ready for another pounce.

Before he can jump at me again I let a torrent of icy breath escape my mouth, catching him by surprise and only damaging him slightly. As Fenrir jumps back away from my breath I see the ice sticking to his fur and he shakes it off but looks to be in pain.

"Damn! That is some cold breath, colder than even the jötunn. Probably reaching absolute zero. Though what else would I expect from the new god of Ice and winter," Loki says to me appearing on my shoulder and shocking me with his random reappearance. Annoyed and confused by him I try to swipe him off my shoulder.

"Naughty, naughty. You still have to beat my son before we fight!" I hear Loki say as he jumps off my shoulder and dodges my swipe before disappearing again. This gives Fenrir another chance to charge me, though from the distance I created giving me enough time to react slightly.

Swiping my paw at Fenrir's head as he is in mid-air jumping towards me again to bite me, it connects knocking him off course. Then using my weight I push down Fenrir and bite into his neck as I stand on top of him. Yelping in pain as I bite into his neck trying to tear his head off using my weight and strength to hold him down. Successfully pulling hard enough to tear his head from his body and causing his body to stop struggling and rest still. Turning back into my human form I grab Fenrir's head lifting it over me bathing in its blood and screaming a victory cry. Throwing it into the storm trying to taunt Loki.

"Now fight me you fucking trickster!" I yell with Fenrir's blood covering me as I held it over me.

Then I feel something appear right behind me, following my battle instincts that seemed to have increased somehow. I grab the arm that held a dagger trying to stab me from behind and then grab the other arm trying to stab me. Holding both arms that have daggers in them I see the face of Loki smirking at me. His smirk annoyed me further and I rear my head back head butting into him breaking his nose. Causing him to grunt in pain before kicking me in the chest making me lose my grip on him. Then disappears from my sight once again.

"FUCKING COWARD! FIGHT ME HONORABLY!" I scream annoyed with him toying with me this whole time. Then I feel him appear behind me again, he moves fast as one dagger pierces me in the back before I kick him away. Following my instinct, I rush to the well that he protects.

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU!" I hear Loki scream in anger as I rush to the well. Getting to the well, I quickly grab the glowing blue ball of ice and it enters my body. As it enters a new sense of power invades me and sends an explosion outward from my body sending Loki flying as he almost stabbed me again.

Looking down I feel this greater power enter me, my skin was white before, but now is white as snow itself. Feeling this new power enter me I turn to Loki who is now looking at me with anger and fear. Following my instinct, I summon this power as armor comes onto me and a weapon appears before me. The weapon is a giant two handed hammer made from ice and the armor appears to have the same glowing blue runes that my werebear form has. Loki also seems much smaller to me, as my height reached 20' (6.1meters), the same size as the jötunn I fought earlier. I feel a connection with ice and winter like never before, as if I can control it as I can control my arm like it is an extension of my body. Using this strength and having claimed this well, I turn to Loki who is still staring at me in fear.

"Begone trickster god! You are not welcome in my realm!" I say in a new guttural-sounding voice like the one in my werebear form. With a surge of power, the ice and snow surrounding this place engulf him and with that, he disappears.

"You will regret this god of Winter!" Loki screams as he disappears.