Baffled, Tyr stood in the cave behind the waterfall. Cold, shimmering water caressed his bare feet. Every movement of his, no matter how minor, threw small waves.

Yours, however, seemed to melt with the water and kept it silent as if your entire figure was part of this body of water.

And somehow it was. After all, this water had been fed with your blood. And it had repaid the kindness with something that could not be weighted in gold or life.

"It's open.", Tyr said in disbelief. "How did you open it?"

With a smile, you shook your head and stepped up to his side to look at the walls that were now resembling the entrance of a temple.

"Quite similar to your temple on the lake in Midgard, isn't it?", you asked and glanced at him. "It feels familiar."

Golden pain stretched across old stone. A door had appeared. Behind it awaited a promise.

A promise of peace and quite, away from fate.

"Hm.", with a nod, he placed the palm of his hand onto the cold stone. "It was build by the very same people. Not the same generation, but what does that matter?"

"Nothing to the present.", you joined his side and placed your hand on his, gentle. "Perhaps it was the blood that needed to be shed. Or it was deemed a sacrifice."

Your fingers united.

"No need to give it a name. If it works, why complain?", there was so much dedication in his words, such determination to finally reach his goal.

It made you smile to see just how much he burned to leave these realms behind and travel back to the land of sand and heat.

"Do you know how it works?", the question was meant to tease him.

Even though you had only found out how to activate the portal by accident you still knew how to travel. Sure, you had never before traveled beyond the nine realms but it would be the same.

Just a line that needed to be crossed.

His golden eyes found yours. How similar they now were yet so different.

"We don't have time to find a way.", he said, breathless with worry. "Only fate knows how long Odin's ravens will be able to keep him down."

With a chuckle you grabbed his face.

"Don't worry, Tyr.", you breathed and stole a deep, long kiss from his lips. "Fall with me."

His eyes fell shut as he gave himself to the warmth of yours. Both his arms wrapped around your body and pulled it in such a tight embrace that it felt like the two of you were about to become one.

A warm, fuzzy feeling of magic chased through your blood and brought it to a boil, not with any kind of emotion, but with sheer power that was fat beyond the capacities of a simple mind.

With gentle force you pushed him towards the door, his back pressed against cold stone and you could feel him suck in a sharp breath of surprise.

He did not let go of you nor did his embrace loosen.

Your magic jumped over to him, while he returned the soft touch with equal as much part of his own abilities.

You could feel how your body got lighter, almost floated.

The water around began to tremble. A shockwave of air chased through the cave, coming from below your toes that now only touched the surface of the water.

The ruins called out into the wide land of Jötunheim.

And your blood answered as it felt like it was about to melt your veins.

A few of your wounds tore open once more, not because of violence but because of an ancient legacy that was about to be rekindled.

The walls trembled with the rhythm of your heartbeats, combined as one.

Your eyes were still tightly shut as a warmth filled the air.

Tyr fell back. Not quickly nor hasty. It wasn't a fall of surprise that could have made skin bleed and bones break. It was more like he sunk into a bed of the softest of feathers.

He bathed in this comfort as he pulled you with him, while stone let his flesh pass through, into a realm that was far beyond anyone's imagination.

You still let yourself get lost in the taste of his lips as you could feel how the weight of your legs shifted. Your lower body started to float.

The only thing that kept the two of you together were your arms that you kept tightly wrapped around each other.

This moment was so comforting. It brought a calmness that you had missed all these years. And now it made you want to close your eyes and be like this for the end of time.

"Not yet.", he whispered against your lips as you turned in the air, no gravity pulling down on your feet. "Just another breath."

You chuckled, unable to open your heavy eyelids. You were tired. Exhausted even. It felt like the weight of eons of years and thousands of generations pushed down on your chest.

You could hardly breath but somehow it was comforting to feel this weight crush your lungs.

"For how long... will we have to be?", you asked and snuggled up into the crotch of his neck, just like you always used to do it when you wanted to take a nap.

His hand found your cheek.

"With you? I beg for eternity.", he covered your face in kisses.

It made you chuckle. The soft hair of beard tickled. Playfully, you tried to push his face away only to find yourself falling once more.

It was a soft landing, even though the ground did not have this gentleness that the realm beyond had to offer.

Your eyes were still closed but you could smell dried wheats and soil that was very close to becoming natural clay.

A gentle breeze caressed your face, ran its fingers through your hair as you lay there and listened to the rustling of the fields.

You lay in Tyr's arms. He still held you tight.

The warmth of sunlight kissed your nose.

In the distance, dogs barked and people called out. Kids came running, distracted from their games by the two strangers who had fallen from the sky.

"Don't.", Tyr pulled you back into his arms. "Don't give them a reason to be angry. Let them come."

You accepted, waited.

A few moments passed.

And suddenly a shadow fell over you.

"Who are you?", a rough voice asked, harsh but calm.

It was a man.

You smiled, at ease with everything.

"Who are you?", you returned the question.

The man frowned.

"They call me Leonidas. Kind of Sparta."