It did not sound like a joke. If their interactions were anything to go by, then Maitho knew that Raiden’s honesty was the one thing the man took pride in.
“Where is Quinn now?” said Maitho. He wondered if the vehicle had some kind of soul that was traveling in a boat along the River Styx.
As a form of response, Raiden stepped to the side and raised his arm to where Quinn lay in halves. “He isn’t entirely dead. But he will require time to heal.”
Maitho could not believe what he was hearing. Now that he had, there was nothing else that seemed relevant to him at that moment. He walked over to the front section of Quinn’s vehicle and sat down beside it. His hands came to rest on the hood, the surface cold enough that he wondered if he should be looking for signs of heat to reveal signs of life. Does a godlike entity that takes on the form of various vehicles function the same way as a human life?
He didn’t know how long he had remained in that position, but he managed to compose himself. “How do we heal him?”
“We?” said Adahlia, the mockery in her tone as obvious as the destruction around them.
Maitho didn’t have time to verbally joust with someone. He decided to rephrase his question. “What do I have to do Raiden?” He called out the name of the Norse Guardian, letting everyone around know that he wasn’t speaking to those who did not wish to give him a straight answer.
“What? You’re his errand boy now?” said Adahlia, looking at Raiden as though he had just broken into a funny jig.
Maitho had to give Raiden credit. Despite what others threw at him, he never fell prey to their traps. It was perhaps because in his world, the smartest person around was himself. Everyone else was merely there to prove that fact. “I am a Guardian out here trying to help someone in need,” said Raiden. “If that means I somehow become an errand boy, then I believe we are all mere errand runners. But I’m sure that’s not what you meant.”
“Looks like it isn’t just my house that needs a few leashes,” said Brigid.
“Thankfully, I still have the final word. No one can just disobey. Can they?” Adahlia looked at Raiden, a look of challenge on her face. There was only one answer to her question. Perhaps there really wasn’t. She might just be looking for compliance.
“Don’t look at me,” said Raiden. He pointed at Charon. “You need to take it up with management. I’m guessing we are here to try and leave this place on a good note?”
Charon didn’t respond immediately. Everyone’s eyes were on him, many with opposing expectations. At this point, he could tell everyone to simply leave Quinn where he lay. “Heal the car. Then disperse.”
“Where? A dinnae think a’m welcome here,” said Epona. It is difficult to misunderstand what she was referring to.
“You can return if you are ready to ditch him,” said Brigid. There was no warmth in her tone.
“A dinnae think sae.”
“Whatever you plan, I need everyone to walk away from each other. And stay that way. For the foreseeable future.” Charon walked up to the vehicle and seemed to examine it. “He might need a day. Two at most.”
In the silence that followed, Maitho realized that some form of silent agreement was all that was keeping the Guardians from tearing each other apart. It didn’t even feel like an agreement. More like a form of compliance. No one wanted to risk getting into a skirmish in front of Charon, although it made no sense to stop violence when the Norse pantheon was more than willing to summon a city sized serpent to fight by their side.
No, there was something else. Maitho could not put his finger on it, and he didn’t stop to ponder about it either. His immediate concern was of his friend. He began to look around, searching for ways to transport the destroyed car. “Do we need both halves for him to regenerate?” He asked no one in particular, but knew that the only person with knowledge who would respond to him was the woman on his team.
He wasn’t left disappointed. Epona responded to him without hesitation. “Na. Ye juist neit one o the halves. He is likely tae gain some awareness durin the healin process. He’ll know which half o his body we hold an then he’ll dispose o the other half.”
“How are you going to transfer him?” said Raiden, his hands moving up to balance on his hips.
Up until that moment, Maitho had no idea how to proceed. He had contemplated dragging one of the broken halves to safety. It was probably the most awful plan he had ever come up with. But if that meant he could save his friend, then the results were worth the pain. He had tried to imagine where he could possibly take folded and destroyed pieces of metal, leather, and possible wirings. Was there a garage nearby? Maybe an abandoned field? Was there someplace no one might be able to see a car coming back to life?
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Raiden’s words triggered an inspiration. It was a bold plan, but under the circumstances, Maitho realized that he didn’t have a lot of options. He got to his feet. “I’m not. You are.”
Silence followed his words. Then Adahlia broke into laughter, the sound of which seemed to mock Maitho’s suggestion. She blocked her mouth with the back of her hand as waves of guffaws escaped her. “He really did turn you into an errand boy,” she said, her eyes landing on Raiden.
“And so are you,” said Maitho, looking at her.
The laughter slowly began to diminish in its intensity, like a car’s engine dying down. Adahlia’s face took on a different expression, one that seemed to suggest that she would ignore any undisclosed rules in order to inflict her brand of pain.
“You want me on your team? I’ll walk with you.” Maitho didn’t look at Epona, knowing that if he did, then his entire pretense would unravel. He spread his arms. “I’m right here. You can have me work for you and if you help me tonight, then I will owe you.”
“Just like that?” said Raiden. He didn’t look convinced.
Adahlia, on the other hand, interrupted any further questions. “Now that is a proposition that I like.”
“Whit are ye doin Maitho?” said Epona. When he looked at her, he expected to find a look of betrayal splashed on her face. The look was there, but it wasn’t one that he recognized. It almost seemed forced. She was playing along.
“We don’t have a choice,” said Maitho. “You can reach out to Gray. I know he can help. He has the power to. You can take Quinn to his residence. That way, we stay there as well. We get our friend to heal in a safe place, and you have me under your watchful eye.”
For a moment, it seemed as though Adahlia would simply reject the offer. After all, it did sound too good to be true, even to Maitho himself. He hoped that she wouldn’t look too much into it, instead choosing to focus on the fact that she had brought him under her control. It wasn’t the case, but she needed to think that way. Her fight with him should still be hurting her ego. If that were the case, then this was her chance to emerge the true victor.
“You obey me, no matter what,” said Adahlia.
Maitho snorted. He was willing to join them, but there were lines he wouldn’t cross. “No. That’s not going to happen. But I will be part of whatever mission you might plan.”
“What a coward,” he heard Brigid speak. She half turned her face to Bevan while her eyes were still locked on Maitho. “And you wanted to trust him, right?”
Bevan’s face hardened. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to respond through his fists. His reaction should have bothered Maitho, but there was nothing to do there. Right now, all that mattered was getting a broken car back in shape.
Adahlia gave a quick nod to Raiden, who proceeded to fish out his phone and make a call. After he had walked a few feet away from the group, the descendant of Freya spoke. “Why should we take you in?” Adahlia asked.
Maitho was not prepared for that question. Yet he knew that his response couldn’t be something hasty or he might just undo everything he had established so far. “I need help. I don’t think it’s going to happen with all of you here and neither is Charon going to stick around all night.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. Nothing is free. I know that and I’m willing to pay the price.”
Adahlia shook her head. “All this for a car.”
“All this for a life.”
What Maitho hoped no one would notice was the bag of weapons he had managed to steal from Brigid. It still lay there, close to where he had been earlier. He was not about to leave it here, not after everything that they had gone through to get it. Besides, it wasn’t entirely worthless either. He could still use it.
Yet he didn’t want to alert anyone to their presence. His only opportunity might arrive just when they were about to leave.
“If you leave tonight, then consider our doors closed forever,” said Brigid. She was looking at Epona, her jaws tightening as she clenched her teeth.
“A can live wi that,” came Epona’s response.
Brigid chuckled. “Why do you care? Do you like him or something?”
“Is thon all ye coud come up wi?”
“You are one of us,” said Bevan, breaking whatever silence he had held on to so far. “Your loyalty lies with us.”
“Loyalty?” Epona scoffed and looked at Brigid. “Whit did ye dae tae him?”
“Opened his eyes to the truth. You should try it yourself. Working with blinders might be narrowing your vision.”
Epona didn’t respond. The sound of an engine grabbed Maitho’s attention. A truck came to a stop in front of the building, its body devoid of any markings or paint. It was impressive that Gray could arrange for something like this in such a short duration of time. Two men exited the cab, and three more from the small trailer at the back. Without pausing for anything, they began to move towards the wreckage of Quinn.
“I think you can return,” said Charon. He was talking to Brigid. She seemed to hesitate, watching the scene unfold before her. Then she pursed her lips and spoke something quietly to Bevan. After throwing one last look at Epona, she departed the scene with her only ally.
Maitho waited for the men carrying Quinn to pass him by, then began to follow them. His course took him past Epona and as he closed in on her, he quickly spoke. “Take everything we got out of the base.” He didn’t wait for her response, but he knew that she had understood.
Then he walked over to Raiden, who seemed curious by his approach. “Planning to offer something else?”
“Maybe,” said Maitho. “Answer me this. Are you really going to kill all the Guardians?”
To that question, Raiden sighed. “I think there are a few things you need to know.”
“Such as?”
Raiden took a moment to respond. “What do you know of your previous life?”