Sif narrowed her eyebrows. "That's impossible," she said as she sat up from the blanket. Her voice was full of doubt. I could already feel the tension building up in her body. "Asgard is protected by magic. Frost Giants can't just walk into Asgard without being seen by Heimdall. And we have a peace treaty in place. They would never dare to do that."
I reached toward another bird perched high above the area those blue bastards were gathering. The small silver-feathered thing chirped once before my senses slipped into it.
The world around me changed again.
I felt a wind, saw trees and those blue figures moving between the roots of the trees.
This time, I let Sif see what I was seeing through the bird.
She caught her breath sharply beside me.
The bird flew over the trees and through its eyes we could see the Frost Giants clearly. There were more than a dozen of them. They were huge. Crouched low between the trees while a pale mist came out of their mouths. Ice was forming beneath their feet with every step they took.
Around them, the air was distorted by magic.
Sif's face changed fast. She was shocked. Then her expression turned to alarm. "By the Allfather..."
The connection with the bird was broken when it suddenly flew away in panic.
I let out a breath and rubbed my temple. “Yeah. I can feel Loki’s illusion magic wrapped around them too. He’s hiding their presence from the wards.”
Sif stared at me. "Loki?"
I nodded while standing up from the blanket. "Think about the timing. Odin is getting ready to sleep. The guards are focused on protecting him while he's vulnerable. Everybody is paying attention to what's happening inside the palace."
Sif's eyes narrowed as she started to understand what was happening. "If the Frost Giants use disguises..."
"They can get close to the palace without anyone stopping them, " I finished for her. "Then they can go straight to Odin's chamber."
Sif stood up so fast that the birds flew away. "They are planning to kill the Allfather while he is sleeping. I need to warn the guards now."
I caught her wrist before she could move. “Warn them? Oh no, that ain’t Loki’s plan.”
She looked back at me sharply.
“If Loki is even half as crafty as the rumors say, then he’s already ten steps ahead,” I said while releasing her wrist. “He’ll guide those giants straight into Odin’s chamber himself. Then right before they strike…” I snapped my fingers. “He'll kill them.”
Sif stopped moving
I could almost see her thoughts coming together in her mind.
“He becomes Odin’s savior,” I continued. “The loyal son who protected the Allfather from assassins during the Odinsleep. Everyone will praise him. Odin starts trusting him more. Suddenly, Loki looks a whole lot more fit to wear the crown.”
Sif’s eyes widened slowly. “No…”
“Oh yeah,” I muttered while looking deeper into the forest. “He plans to betray the Frost Giants at the final moment and take all the glory for himself.”
The air around us felt colder now.
Our peaceful time by the stream already felt like it had happened a long time ago.
"Then we need to stop him before any of this happens," Sif said with a grim expression.
I smiled slowly as I cracked my knuckles and looked toward the dark forest ahead.
“Exactly,” I said. “And honestly? I’m kinda curious how Loki’s gonna explain this mess once I drag the Frost Giants out by their ankles, and kill a few of them in the most gruesome way possible to make an example out of them, and then interrogate the rest. I'm pretty sure one of them will atleast break. If not, I'll simply annihilate them and use that portal they came through to go to their home planet and kill them all."
A massive burst of red energy erupted from my body. For a moment, I only wanted to kill and just keep killing all the enemies who've trampled on the innocent lives around them without a care. The rage of nature... I could feel it. Those creatures who died due to the intense cold... I could feel their pain. I haven't felt this much anger in a while.
"Jason! JASON!" Sif's loud voice brought me back from that trance.
I snapped out of it.
"Yeah," I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Sorry about that. It's a side effect of being connected to nature for a long time. Anyway..." I opened my inventory and selected a set of Paladin's armor, a sword and a shield. Then, I touched Sif's arms. "Equip."
Golden light burst across Sif’s body the instant the word left my mouth.
The red dress vanished beneath layers of silver-white armor that formed around her like flowing liquid metal. Plates locked neatly into place over her shoulders, chest, waist, and legs. Blue lines pulsed faintly across the surface of the armor, almost like veins carrying divine energy through the metal itself. A long crimson cloak settled behind her back and fluttered lightly in the breeze coming off the stream.
A sword appeared at her hip while a shield materialized over her arm with a deep metallic hum.
Sif froze.
Her eyes widened as she looked down at herself. She lifted her hand slowly and touched the armor covering her chest, almost afraid it would disappear if she moved too fast. Then she pulled the sword free from its sheath.
Sching!
Blue light flashed along the blade.
The air around it vibrated softly with holy energy.
Sif stared at the sword for a second before raising the shield. The moment she did, a faint barrier shimmered across its surface.
'Dang! She looks so hot in that armor.' I couldn't help but stare at her for a moment.
“How did you do that?” she asked. Her voice carried genuine shock now. “And this divine energy…”
I scratched the back of my head and shrugged. “Loot drop from a dead angel knight I killed years ago. Paladin set. It boosts defense, healing, stamina, holy resistance, and a bunch of other annoying stuff.”
Sif blinked once. “You fought angelic warriors too?”
“Eh. Long story.” I waved my hand dismissively before looking toward the dark forest again. “Point is, that armor should keep you safe if things get messy.”
She looked down at the blade again, still trying to process the power flowing through it. “This feels stronger than most enchanted weapons in Asgard.”
“It probably is,” I replied casually. “And before you ask, yeah, you can keep it.”
Her head snapped toward me. “Keep it?”
“Yep.”
“Jason, this armor alone could become a royal treasure.”
I shrugged again. “I’ve got more sets stuffed somewhere inside my inventory next to dragon bones and monster organs. Trust me, I’m not exactly hurting for gear. Besides, you look hot in that armor.”
Sif stared at me for another second before a small smile appeared on her lips. “Sometimes I genuinely forget how absurd you are.”
“Only sometimes?”
She huffed softly, though amusement flickered in her eyes now. "And I'll take that 'hot' compliment." Then her expression sharpened again as she looked toward the deeper parts of the Veilgrove. “What is the plan?”
I rolled my shoulders and stretched my neck until a few cracks echoed through the trees. “Honestly? I’d love to march in there and crush those frost freaks into blue paste.”
A faint pulse of red energy flickered around my hand before fading again.
“But if I start throwing around my real skills, the entire forest’s gonna explode,” I continued. “And right now we can’t afford to alert the palace before Loki finishes his little scheme.”
Sif nodded slowly while adjusting her grip on the shield.
“So instead,” I said with a grin, “I’ll bind them. You chop them up.”
Her eyebrow lifted slightly.
“I’ll keep a few alive for interrogation. You know, standard healthy communication.”
“That sounds less like communication and more like torture.”
“Depends on how cooperative they are.”
Sif sighed softly and slid the glowing sword back into its sheath. “And if they refuse to speak?”
I smiled wider.
“Then I annihilate them, open a portal to Jotunheim, and spend the next few weeks reducing their population.”
Sif looked at me carefully, trying to decide whether I was joking.
I wasn’t.
After a long second, she muttered, “You say things like that with far too much confidence.”
I shrugged. “Well, yeah. I can actually do it.”
A cold breeze passed through the trees.
Far deeper in the forest, frost continued spreading through the roots beneath our feet.
I stepped closer. “You ready?”
Sif looked down at the glowing armor one last time before meeting my eyes again. The earlier warmth from our date was still there beneath the tension.
She gave a slow nod.
“Ready.”
...
[Frost Giant Camp]
One of the giants sniffed the air and muttered something in Jotun tongue.
Another tightened its grip around a jagged ice axe. “The palace lies ahead. The prince promised us safe passage.”
A third giant gave a low laugh. “The Allfather dies tonight.”
Then the ground exploded.
BOOOOM!
Burning roots erupted from beneath the frozen earth like enraged serpents. Thick thorn-covered vines burst upward in every direction and slammed into the Frost Giants before they could react.
“RAAAAGH!”
The camp descended into chaos instantly.
Roots wrapped around arms, legs, necks, and torsos. The thorns dug deep into blue flesh while flames spread across the bindings. Several giants roared as burning spikes pierced straight through their shoulders and thighs before pinning them against trees.
One giant raised his axe to cut himself free.
A root shot through his wrist.
CRACK!
The weapon dropped from numb fingers while another root wrapped around his throat hard enough to lift his massive body off the ground.
“What in the seven hells is this?!”
The answer arrived in a flash of golden light.
Sif blinked directly into the center of the camp.
The moment her armored boots touched the frozen ground, holy energy erupted outward in a wave of blue-white light. Frost melted instantly around her while the Paladin armor glowed brighter beneath the dark forest canopy.
Every Frost Giant froze for half a second.
Then the slaughter started.
Sif drew the glowing sword in one smooth motion and crossed the distance before the nearest giant could even raise his weapon.
SCHING!
The blade sliced clean through his waist.
For a moment the upper half of the giant remained suspended in the air while blood sprayed across the frozen roots behind him. Then his body split apart completely and crashed into the snow with a wet thud.
Another giant ripped one arm partially free from the roots and roared while swinging an ice blade toward her head.
Sif stepped inside his reach and drove the sword upward through his jaw.
The glowing blade punched through the top of his skull.
Blue blood exploded down her armored arm.
The giant convulsed once before she ripped the blade free and spun.
A third Frost Giant broke loose enough to lunge toward her with both hands outstretched.
Sif slammed the shield into his knee.
CRUNCH!
The entire leg bent sideways with a disgusting snap.
Before he could even scream properly, her sword carved across his throat. Flesh split open. Blood and shattered ice sprayed through the air while his head toppled backward at an unnatural angle.
The roots tightened around the remaining giants.
Several struggled violently while the burning thorns dug deeper into their flesh. One giant managed to tear a root apart with brute force and started charging through the camp.
A blur of crimson moved past him.
Sif appeared at his side and drove the blade through his ribs. The giant howled and tried to grab her. She twisted the sword violently inside his chest. The glowing edge shredded organs and burst out through his spine in a spray of gore.
Then she kicked him off the blade.
His body slammed into a tree hard enough to crack the trunk.
Another Frost Giant finally freed both arms and opened his mouth to unleash a freezing breath attack.
A burning root shot straight through his face before he could release it.
The back of his skull exploded.
Sif didn’t even look at him.
She stepped forward and hacked another giant apart at the stomach. The blade cut through flesh and bone like wet paper. Entrails spilled across the frozen ground while the giant screamed loud enough to shake the trees.
The screaming ended when she split his skull down the middle.
Blood covered the roots now.
Chunks of blue flesh littered the camp.
One giant dropped to his knees while trying desperately to pull the burning thorns out of his chest. Sif grabbed him by the hair and drove the sword through his eye socket.
The blade pierced deep into the back of his head.
She yanked it free with enough force to tear half his face apart.
The corpse collapsed twitching into the snow.
Several Frost Giants were already dead and the surviving ones finally realized something horrifying.
They weren’t fighting warriors.
They were trapped prey waiting to die.
One of them screamed in panic and started begging in his native tongue while trying to crawl backward despite the roots wrapped around his legs.
Then the forest went silent.
Heavy footsteps approached through the trees.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Jason stepped into the camp slowly while red energy flickered faintly around his body. His eyes glowed like embers beneath the darkness of the forest.
The remaining Frost Giants immediately stopped struggling.
Fear spread across their faces.
Jason looked around at the torn corpses scattered across the frozen clearing and gave a slow nod of approval.
“Damn,” he muttered while looking at Sif. “You really got into it.”
Sif stood in the middle of the blood-soaked camp with blue gore splattered across her glowing armor. Her chest rose slowly from exertion while holy light still pulsed faintly along the blade in her hand.
She looked at the surviving giants coldly. “They tried to invade Asgard.”
Jason looked toward the trembling Frost Giants bound by burning roots.
“Fair point.” He cracked his knuckles slowly while smiling at them. “Alright boys. Who wants to confess their sins?"