The King of Camelot's lips parted, ready to speak, but the witch had already turned away, her dark cape swaying behind her as she walked toward the ship.
Kyto, still trying to catch his breath from the shock, muttered.
"I'll never get over that… Grimhild just kissed Arthur Pendragon!"
Elizabeth elbowed him gently.
"Be quiet and come on."
Zarutha was still hovering near Obsidia, muttering to himself in rapid, almost incomprehensible bird-speak.
"I mean, kings and witches, romantic history, scandal, gods above, this is going in my records!"
"Let's continue our journey." Said Grimhild.
Up above, a divine ramp extended down from Skidbladnir as it anchored into the earth.
Arthur finally moved, stepping forward just as Grimhild set foot on the ramp.
"Grimhild!"
She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around as his voice softened.
"Come back alive. You're not alone in this, I understand how hard it must be to move forward. But you've done a good job so far, so keep it up."
For the briefest second, her shoulders trembled. "I intend to." She replied, before continuing upward.
Obsidia stepped aboard first as her mechanical heels clanked against the polished deck.
The others followed; Elizabeth clutching Kyto's arm, Jean glancing back at Arthur with an unreadable expression, and Fhiron striding up last with a regal composure.
When they were all aboard, Obsidia spoke a command in the tongue of the Æsir; a tribe of gods, distinct from the Vanir.
The runes along the ship's hull flared, and with a deep sound, Skidbladnir's ramp reeled back, ready to take flight.
Arthur watched in silence.
"Destination?" Obsidia asked, her gaze locked on Grimhild.
"Mesnil." Grimhild said without hesitation.
"We are finally going to the capital of the Northern Empire." Said Elizabeth smiling.
Fhiron chuckled.
"I heard their booze is one of the lifetime experiences!"
"Of course, you only care about the booze…" Muttered Jean.
Arthur waved them off as Grimhild smiled at him, and without warning, the divine vessel soared across the sky, releasing a mighty gust of wind.
Below them, Midgard's endless forests and rivers unfolded like a living tapestry.
Kyto leaned over the edge, wide-eyed.
"I've never seen the world like this before. Even when flying with Flonta."
Elizabeth leaned over beside Kyto, gripping the railing.
"Careful, if you fall, we're not turning around."
Kyto gave her a flat look. "That's comforting."
Zarutha landed on his head.
"Don't worry, if you fall, I'll…" He paused, tilting his head. "Actually, no, you're too heavy. You'd take me down with you."
"Wow. Thanks for the support!"
Fhiron was already sprawled out on a deck bench like he owned the ship with his hands behind his head.
"This is the life. Midgard's air, divine craftsmanship, and a destination with drinks that could floor a frost giant."
Jean sat opposite him with his arms crossed.
"And I suppose you think that's going to help us blend in once we reach Mesnil?"
"Of course." Fhiron said without hesitation. "No one suspects the drunk elf king. It's called strategy."
Obsidia was standing perfectly straight at the bow, scanning the horizon with unblinking eyes.
"Strategic intoxication is not recognized as a valid combat doctrine in any existing tactical database."
"Yet." Fhiron smirked.
Elizabeth laughed under her breath, then glanced over at Grimhild.
"You've been quiet since we took off, is everything okay, Grimhild?"
The witch stood at the railing, her single visible eye fixed on the horizon.
"I'm fine, I'm simply thinking about what we'll find in Mesnil."
Zarutha hopped down onto the railing next to her.
"Hopefully something less depressing than the last few days. Maybe a festival with pie."
Kyto leaned in, grinning.
"So, uh… Grimhild, about earlier with King Arthur…"
"Don't." She said flatly without even looking at him.
"I wasn't going to say anything!" He protested.
Elizabeth smirked.
"You were totally going to say something."
"Shut up!" Kyto shot back, which only made her laugh harder.
Fhiron propped himself up on one elbow.
"I, for one, applaud Grimhild's boldness. I mean, kissing the strongest hero in all of Yggdrasil, in front of everyone? That's the kind of boldness I can respect."
Grimhild finally glanced over her shoulder at him.
"Do you want off this ship?"
Fhiron froze mid-smirk.
"I… uh… think I'll pass."
The group's laughter went over the deck as Skidbladnir glided on.
The capital of the Northern Empire, and whatever awaited them there, was still hours away.
For now, they had the wind, the sky, and just enough ridiculous banter to make the journey bearable.
Kyto leaned back against the railing, still grinning from the banter.
"So, you never really told us… why Mesnil? Is it just to fight Lancelot and save the people there from poverty, or was there another reason?"
Grimhild's gaze didn't move from the clouds ahead, but her voice softened.
"I made a promise… to my brother."
Everyone froze.
Elizabeth blinked.
"Wait… you have a brother?!"
Jean sat forward.
"Hold on, the Witch of Destruction has a sibling?"
Even Obsidia tilted her head, her normally flat voice gaining a trace of curiosity.
"No such familial connection was in my data banks."
Kyto's mouth opened and closed like a fish.
"Since when do you—how do you? You never told us this!"
Fhiron smirked.
"Oh, this is going to be good. How in the world does someone like you have a sibling?"
Grimhild's expression remained calm, though her single visible eye showed concern.
"He was important to me. We practically grew up together after the Legendary Age ended. Mesnil was the last place we were supposed to meet if we were ever separated."
Elizabeth's voice dropped.
"…And you never saw him again?"
"No." She said. "But I intend to honor that promise, and meet with him soon."
A heavy silence followed until she added, almost as an afterthought.
"I'm uncertain if it was a coincidence, but the moment I was ready to depart from Midland Forest, that's when I got the letter that Lancelot wanted to duel me. So now I'm pulled into both situations without a choice."
Jean leaned over the railing of the ship, tilting his head to the side.
"Only you would think meeting a long-lost brother and fighting one of the strongest knights alive in the same trip is a good idea."
Kyto threw his arms in the air.
"You're telling me we're flying straight into a knight-versus-witch death match right after a family reunion?!"
Elizabeth sighed, half-smiling.
"Only with you, Grimhild, only with you."
The ship's deck fell into a strange combination of excitement and dread.
But they were all ready nonetheless.
"If this ship can travel through time, why not fast forward? Wouldn't that make things faster?" Asked Fhiron, crossing his leg over the other.
"Time travel is risky." Responded Grimhild. "Let us take this journey naturally. Three days isn't too long."
Fhiron leaned back, looking mildly disappointed at the lack of instant gratification.
"Three days… very well, but I'm making a drinking schedule! Fwa ha ha!"
Before anyone could reply, a deep BOOM rolled through the sky.
The ship shuddered and a devastating ripple of air pressure passed over the deck.
Kyto straightened up immediately.
"Uh… did anyone else hear that?"
"Affirmative." Obsidia said. "Shockwave detected. Approximate origin, forty-two leagues directly beneath us."
Elizabeth moved to the railing.
"Forty-two leagues? That's… far, right?"
Zarutha landed beside her, ruffling his feathers.
"Far enough to ignore unless it's interesting. And it sounds interesting, indeed indeed!"
Another explosion echoed up from below, followed by what almost sounded like a monstrous roar.
Jean narrowed his eyes toward the ground.
"That's definitely not thunder… someone's fighting down there."
Fhiron was already on his feet, grinning.
"Well, well, looks like Midgard's putting on a show for us."
Kyto frowned.
"We're not actually thinking of stopping, are we?"
Grimhild's single eye glanced downward.
"Obsidia. Bring the ship to a hover."
"Acknowledged."
Skidbladnir slowed to a halt as magical circles manifested around it, keeping it hung in the sky.
The group clustered at the port side, peering over the endless stretch of clouds.
Below, through a break in the mist, they could just make out flashes of light, blazing arcs of magic and steel clashing in rapid succession.
Elizabeth's breath caught.
"Whoever they are… they're strong."
"Strong enough to make the ground quake from up here." Jean added.
Fhiron rested one shoe on the railing with amusement.
"So, my goddess, what's the call? Do we keep to your three-day stroll to Mesnil, or do we drop in and say hello?"
Grimhild didn't answer right away.
The sounds from below, explosions, roars, and the sounds of spells rose again, as if the battle was daring them to get closer.
Finally, she turned to face them.
"…Lower us halfway. I want to see who thinks they own the sky today."
Kyto wanted to protest, but he knew it wasn't worth it, everyone else was ready to see what they were dealing with.
"That sounds like the roar of a dragon…" Proclaimed Zarutha.
"It probably is! I'll finally be able to see my first real dragon!" Elizabeth responded in excitement.
"This doesn't feel like a good idea…" Mumbled Kyto.