Chapter 34 #2
“You know you don’t have to actually drive, right?” I smirk. “There’s an autopilot. It’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“I know, but I like driving,” Sigurd insists. “I can turn this thing upside down and you still stick to the seats. Barely even feels like you’re moving.”
“Don’t turn it upside down while the babies are inside,” Avery cautions.
“I won’t,” Sigurd says, opening the door for Avery.
We climb inside and put the babies in their car seats. Another thing we didn’t have on our world, but Avery is familiar with them. She makes sure all three of them are secure before moving to her seat.
The trip to the Gray Viking Hall doesn’t take long with Sigurd driving. He doesn’t pay attention to the traffic lanes painted below us and just zooms over the mansions. It would have definitely taken a lot longer if we’d just engaged the autopilot.
“Wonder where we should park,” Sigurd mutters.
“Might be worth letting the autopilot handle that,” I suggest.
“Fine,” Sigurd grunts, tapping the button.
The autopilot carries us behind the Gray Viking Hall where there is a row of other ships parked. The autopilot guides us into an empty parking space, lowers the ship, and the doors hiss open. A voice echoes from the console that tells us we’ve arrived at our destination.
“Hard to believe how little security there is,” Avery says as she steps off. “Back on Earth, if you showed up at the White House where the president lived, you’d get shot if you got this close.”
“Just because we don’t see security doesn’t mean there isn’t any,” I say. “They’ve got surveillance here. If we tried to rob a bank, we’d get swarmed before we got inside.”
“Good thing we don’t have to,” Sigurd says. “I don’t even think they have banks.”
“You need currency before you need banks,” Ivar says sagely.
My brothers and I each take a baby carrier and we walk to the door with Avery trailing behind us. We don’t have to knock. It opens immediately, and we’re greeted by a seven-foot-tall Viking. Another Vikingo Robot.
“Welcome to Gray Viking Hall!” the robot says in an excited voice. “The president is awaiting your arrival!”
“Uh, thanks, Vikingo,” I mutter, eying the robot.
We never made it to the point of making robots that resembled us on our world. We didn’t really need them. We had servants that weren’t made out of machinery. For a time, we even had slaves, but that practice was abolished before my brothers and I were born.
Vikingo leads us to a large dining hall. It truly is a feast. There’s food as far as the eye can see. President Haggard is at the head of the table, and he’s the only guest I recognize, other than Val. President Haggard stands up and claps.
“Our guests of honor have arrived,” he says, gesturing to some empty chairs. “Please, have a seat.”
We’re seated at the opposite end of the table. Not where I would have chosen, because I’d prefer to sit near the president. I’ve got a few questions and some things I’d like to discuss. Apparently, that will have to wait.
More guests arrive before the feast begins. The people we’re seated by are members of the senate, who govern Midgard 13, along with President Haggard. They ask lots of questions about Midgard 21, and we are open with them about our world.
After we eat and drink, there is dancing.
Avery doesn’t know any of our dances, so we lead her through a few of them.
The other guests teach us a few dances from Midgard 13, which aren’t much different from ours.
After we drink some more, Avery shows us a few from Earth.
They’re unusual, but I like watching her sway.
“And no feast would be fun without the Running of the Wolves!” President Haggard announces. “If you’re participating, follow me.”
“Should we?” I ask, glancing over at my brothers.
“Wouldn’t mind a run,” Sigurd says, turning to Avery. “Think you’ll be okay if we’re gone for a bit? We can stay if you need help with the babies.”
“I think I can manage,” Avery says. “I can’t believe they haven’t woken up screaming yet with all the noise.”
“We fed them well,” Ivar chuckles.
To my surprise, it isn’t just the men who join us. There’s just as many women, too. Just when I think I’ve seen everything the universe has to offer, one of the women starts shifting, her blonde hair giving away to shaggy, sandy fur.
“What the hell?” Ivar questions. “A woman who can shapeshift?”
“We call them she-wolves,” one of the senators explains. “Didn’t have those on Midgard 21?”
“No,” I admit, my eyes widening as I watch a few more she-wolves emerge. “I don’t even sense their wolves.”
“Only a she-wolf can sense another she-wolf,” the senator continues. “Just like we can only sense other male wolves.”
There wasn’t much about Fenrir’s Mark mentioned when I was doing my research.
I assumed that was because they weren’t warriors and didn’t rely on their wolves.
Maybe it’s just so common they don’t feel it’s worth mentioning, especially if their women can shapeshift too.
Some of them, at least. Either some can’t, or they weren’t up for a run.
Once most of the others have shifted, we call our wolves. Then we begin our run. It truly is freeing not having to hide what we are.
It’s been a while since we’ve been able to enjoy it like this.