Isher Notra

Stella:

"You think beating up my children proves you tough?! Ha! Come and fight the real deal!"

The rocky floor and walls of the Jólasveinarnir lair trembled because of Leppalúði's power! The crystalline ceiling started to rattle like a swarm of glasses clinking against each other. It was surprisingly loud, so much so that Stella had to plug her ears with her hands.

The Ogre patriarch started taking steps toward them. However, The Silver Knight cut the giant's journey short in a bolt of light.

Leppalúði chuckled and made his signature crooked smile. "Oh? Do you really think you can stand up to me, little guard?"

The hero answered by making another pose. He twirled for a few seconds, then recovered with a genuine fighting stance, with his feet steady and closed knuckles towards the Ogre. "Last chance! Give up on your dastardly schemes or suffer the wrath of The Silver Knight!"

The giant's chuckle became a full-blown laughter. "Aw, I can't take yer silly dances seriously!" Then he swung his fist, ready to slam it onto the guard. "Alrighty, then. If you want this so bad..."

After waiting a moment in anticipation, he slammed it down. "I WILL MAKE A PANCAKE OUT OF YA!"

The Knight readied himself and dodged the fist at the perfect time, jumping backward. The shockwaves that the giant's fist caused made Stella lose her balance and fall on her butt. However, the Knight didn't seem bothered by them at all.

Holy shit, he looked cooler by the second!

Before Leppalúði could retreat his fist, the hero bent his knees slightly. Then, flames came out from his boots like rockets! They propelled the guard toward the Ogre, and he slammed himself on the giant's forehead like a comet!

The father of the Lads stumbled back due to the impact. He tried to take the Knight off his face, but the hero quickly climbed at the top of his head. After that, Stella saw only a bright, golden glow atop the fierce giant.

"ROCKET CRASH!" The golden glow smashed Leppalúði's head with power that the girl never thought possible. It looked like a mini-sun crashing upon him.

The giant's jaw was wide open, and his eyes became pasty white orbs. He only let out a pathetic whimper while he fell with his back on the ground.

The process was so slow that Stella had the time to yell. "TIMBEEEEEEER!"

When the Ogre fell like a mighty oak struck by a lumberjack, the lair was affected by the most potent tremor yet! Stella didn't try to get up, so she was relatively safe.

Or so she thought.

The Silver Knight jumped off the Ogre's head and landed with the iconic superhero pose. Stella watched the guard in awe, and he returned the eye contact with a happy emoticon and flashed a thumbs up.

However, the momentary relief was interrupted when the hero's gaze was redirected upwards. "Stella, look out!"

The Human followed the guard's gaze and saw a piece of the crystalline cluster about to fall upon her. Oh no!

Stella did not have time to react except to hold her arms to soften the impact throughout the rest of her body. She closed her arms and let out a whimper in anticipation of her likely death.

However, she heard a loud noise of something exploding. Then... dust fell on her?

She looked upwards again, but there was nothing there anymore. What just happened?

Her questions were quickly answered by looking at the Knight. He was holding a gun.

A GUN?!

Well, to be exact, it didn't look like any firearm weapon Stella ever saw. It had a cylindrical formal, silver colored with a few golden details at the muzzle, grip, and trigger. It looked... futuristic.

"Dude... What is that...?" Stella asked, slowly getting up after the tremors subsided.

"Oh, this!? This is my Silver Blaster™! A perfect weapon for the most dire of missions!" He pointed at another crystal broken off the ceiling, then shot a thin golden laser beam from it, turning the mineral into sparkling dust.

He had a blaster... Of course, he had a blaster! What could possibly surprise Stella at that point? Aliens?!

Let's hope this tale won't reach that point.

The girl's eyes were filled with wonder. "Knight, I-" She was too shaken by all of this to speak adequately. "I-I mean, that was... so cool!" Her excitement seeped into her voice.

The hero twirled the blaster around his finger. "That was only a demonstration of the power of justice!" Then he guarded it on his holster, located on his right hip. Stella didn't even notice the existence of it.

"Only a day's work for the paragon of virtue, The Silver Knight!" And back to his signature pose. How can someone so strong be so... eccentric?

After seeing the hero's power, Stella had a pressing question that loudly echoed in her mind. "Is that something only Monoke can do? Or can I be strong like that?"

She needed to know. First, it was Lien with her freaky strength, speed, and that super breath. Now it was the Knight, with... whatever was the deal with him.

The guard's answer really brightened Stella's mood. "Of course! Anyone can get stronger, so long as you train your Saniya!"

This word again. "Alright, what even is-"

"LEPPALÚÐI!"

A powerful voice could be heard far away. It was similar to the giant's, only... more feminine? Regardless, it was enough to make the ground shake a tad bit.

Stella was the first to acknowledge it. "So, this is their mom, right?"

The hero nodded. "Yes, and I'm afraid we must get through her to get Lien back." There was a noticeable hesitation in his voice.

The girl noticed that and couldn't help but feel a bit afraid of what lay beyond this room. Lien told her a bit about the "Giant Witch." She sounded like one hell of an opponent.

She took a deep breath and then turned to the Knight. "You sure you can take her?"

He crossed his arms. "I don't know. However, I might be able to hold Grýla long enough to grab Lien and get out."

"Great." Stella looked back at the unconscious Lads. "What about them?"

The Knight followed the girl's action. "They should be on the ground long enough. However, you are no longer safe here." Then he stared at her with narrowed, fake eyes. "Because someone ruined my plan."

Stella chuckled nervously. "Sorry! I got carried away." She spoke with a sheepish smile.

The hero sighed, and then his "eyes" widened. "Wait, how are you handling the heat?"

Stella cleaned the sweat from her brow. "More like how I'm not handling. I'm melting, man!"

Surprisingly, the hero's visor produced two stars for eyes. "I have the perfect gadget!" He searched one of the many pockets on his belt and pulled out a tiny, spherical object the size of a golf ball.

He gave the object to Stella. It was metallic and colored in black, with two vents on opposite sides, colored in orange. It also had a tiny red button on it.

"Now press the red button." He instructed.

The girl pressed, and the heat... disappeared! The natural furnace where they stood now felt like standing in an open field in the evening.

"Wow! How did you do that?" Stella asked, genuinely impressed.

That stoked the flames of the Knight's ego. "My Deheater™ absorbs the heat from your surroundings and cools the air with a special refrigerant substance, returning cool air to you!"

Stella fiddled with the object with a puzzled look. "Huh. I did see some rich folk with one of these, actually."

"Well, I can tell you about the finer details of my inventions, but destiny awaits!" He dramatically pointed at the colossal hole in the ground at the end of the room.

The girl sighed. "Why're you so dramatic?"

Nevertheless, she followed the hero to whatever that hole led to, only to discover that it was the beginning of a massive set of stairs that led downwards. And it wasn't just big in terms of step numbers. It was downright impossible to cross for someone their size. What about the Lads?

"What's the plan, Knight?" Stella asked.

"Well, I can cross these dastardly stairs with no issue!" Then his tone mellowed out. "You, on the hand..."

Stella was already aware of what she'd have to do. "Damn it! Fine, but I only accept a piggyback."

The Knight didn't say anything. He kneeled so Stella could climb on him. Once her arms were in place and her legs were held, they were ready to descend!

The hero hopped step by step. It was a bit embarrassing, but it was better than being bridal-carried. Besides, it was quite a rush! It felt like the descending section of a rollercoaster every time he jumped.

Eventually, they reached the lower level of the Jólasveinarnir's home. And it looked like Stella had found the gate to hell.

It was colossal, hot, intimidating, terrific, it was-

"A room made out of lava!" Stella cried in disbelief while she got out of the hero's back. "What the fuck?!"

"Ogres are extremely heat resistant!" The Knight explained. "A very respectable defense tactic."

Right, that Lad with the hook told her that. But man, freaking lava?! That was hardcore!

A "narrow" path made out of rock connected the stairs with the massive platform that resided the mother of the Lads and, thankfully, Lien.

Well, narrow would be only for the adult ogres. For them, crossing it was a piece of cake.

Surrounding the path and the "island" was a monstrous sea of boiling lava. Bubbles emerged from the substance frequently, creating dangerous spills of the sizzling material. It was like they were at the insides of a volcano.

Another facet of its beauty resided on the ceiling. Rather than the flashy crystal ceiling from the previous room, this one had tiny yet beautiful sparkling blue crystals. It gave a counterbalance to the hazardous nature of the room.

The duo walked through the path. Stella felt like she was walking the last corridor before she confronted the Lord of Flames or something like that. She held tight to that little trinket the Knight gave her since she could only imagine what she would feel if it slipped from her hands.

On the way, the Human could see what lay on the colossal platform. A giant table with two equally big chairs, a cabinet, and a cauldron tied to a chain anchored on the ceiling far above. The latter was where the giant witch was busy doing something.

After finally reaching the stony island, Stella could see the mother of the Lads and, possibly, their biggest obstacle, no pun intended.

She was stirring something in a giant cauldron until she turned to them when she noticed their presence. "I thought my family was filled with incompetents, but damn! You two beat them on your own?"

Grýla wore a stereotypical brownish-pink old lady dress with a floral-patterned apron over it. She was wearing white sandals, which was a step forward from her bare-footed husband.

Her hair was white as snow, mostly covered in a light-gray bandana. Her facial features really showcased how worn-out she was with time. Her ears had given up on their fight against gravity, and she had even fewer teeth than Leppalúði.

Stella was the first to engage. "Where's Lien?!"

Before the witch could answer, Lien's voice could be heard. "Stella! Over here! On the table!"

Suddenly, the Human felt a massive wave of relief. It felt like she could breathe more effortlessly, especially after so many hours of worry and guilt.

With the fire of her determination rekindled in her eyes, Stella shouted. "Don't worry, Lien! We'll get you in no time!"

The Knight also chimed in. "We're here to lead you to your home, Lien!"

Lien's voice became more packed with excitement. "No way! Is that The Silver Knight! Stella, you did it!"

Grýla was not all that excited about the reunion. "So cute y'all reuniting and stuff. But..." There was mischief in the way she spoke that last word.

The witch turned to the cauldron. From it, she pulled out a big, long-handed wooden spoon with a bunch of weird, glowy pink symbols.

The female Ogre shouted. "YER GOING TO SUPPER!"