Isabella, Tartarus survivor

Going to Hotel Valhalla and meeting a gobby ghost

My breath came in short gasps. I wasn't meant to be here. This was not a place for the living. Magnus placed a hand on my back and I instinctively pulled away, putting my hand on the hilt of my dagger and readying myself to fight.
"You alright there?" Alex asked dryly. I nodded, saving my breath.
"No she's not. She can't breathe right." Magnus said. I frowned at him and he shrugged innocently. "Son of Frey," He said in way of explanation.
"Right," I tried to take a deep breath, and found that my lungs actually filled. I took another. Another. It got easier. I shook my head. "Okay, let's go."

I followed the unusual group up the stairs. I could smell the death in the air, feel it like an ache in my bones. "Almost there," Magnus told me. "We'll come up with a game plan once we get to my room."
"Alright."

Finally, we came to a stop. Magnus unlocked the door and gestured for us to go inside.  The room was big and airy. There was a sort of atrium as well, a space with a garden and a round bench. Alex flopped on the unmade bed, like she'd been here before, Blitz sat on the bench in the atrium, and Hearth sat on the floor, his head leaning on the dwarf's legs. Magnus pulled a whiteboard seeming out of thin air, gods knew where he got it from, and began to write, 'Our kickass plan for saving the world'. He cleared his throat. "Right, so, here's what I'm thinking," he drew a branch off the map and jotted down notes, "we go to Jötunheim, and improvise from there." Hearth signed something at him.  Alex tutted and signed something back. She spoke as she signed, "No need to be so pessimistic, Hearth. It's what we've always done."
"I have an idea." I said. "Alcyoneus was designed to oppose my father. If all of you can take on him, I can probably destroy some of your Jötuns. I won't be able to kill all of them, and I'll obviously help with some of the Greek giants, it's just Alcyoneus I need to stay away from."  Blitz raised his eyebrows, and addressed the group. 
"Well. That's the most formulated plan I think we've ever had," he turned and began speaking solely to me, "Sounds like something we can do. Just keep All Cones away from you."
"Alcyoneus," I corrected him, "but yes, if you can keep him away, that would be really helpful." Magnus had been signing furiously throughout all this, and I suddenly realised that he was translating our conversation for Hearth. "Oh gods, I'm sorry. I wish I could be more able to help."
"It's alright," Magnus grinned as he signed, "Hearth's pretty good at lip reading, most of this is just to be courteous." Hearth stuck his tongue out and moved his hands. Alex snorted and translated for me.
"He says 'Courteous my ass.'"
"Oh."
"Anyway," Magnus ploughed on, "so, that's a start. Keep Alcyoneus away from Issy. What should we pack?"
"Scarves!" Blitz said immediately. Hearth looked at him with an endearing smile. 
"Right. Clothes in general would probably be good." Magnus said,
"And food." Alex chimed in. "I'm a growing boy."
"You're a guy for now?" Blitz asked. Alex nodded.
"Yup," they said, popping the 'p', "he/ him pronouns at the moment guys." I blinked.
"So you were a girl, now you're a boy?" I asked.
"Yes. Got a problem with that?" Alex stood up. Magnus glanced at me.
"Please tell me you don't," He said, "because then we'd probably have to chuck you out, and I think we need you." I shook my head,
"No, I just wanted to check." I tapped my head. "Everything's all a bit new to me." Magnus smiled and rolled his eyes slightly.
"Right. Well, that's that then." Alex sat back down, though his jaw was clenched and I thought I'd probably upset him. Humans, I thought. Of course I was glad to be out of Tartarus, but did people have to be so complicated? I seemed to put my foot in it all the time, and I never meant to. I didn't much like hurting people for the sake of hurting them.
"You're right Hearth," Blitz's voice dragged me out of my thoughts. "We'll need weapons. Plenty of weapons." Magnus added it to the list. 

We sat, formulating a plan as best we could. Then came the part I was dreading; Blitz cleared his throat and said, "Right. Special talents. What do we got?"
"Well, obviously I can do the whole healing thing," Magnus lifted his hands, "and I've got Jack." He fingered the pendant lying against his chest.
"All due respect," I began, "how is a necklace a special talent?"
"Jack's actually a sword. He turns into a portable pendant form, so I always have a weapon close. We can kinda talk telepathically."
"Right. Of course." I muttered. Alex glared at me.
"I can shapeshift if we need, but don't forget that it takes a lot out of me. Don't rely on it completely." 
"We won't." Magnus translated for me as Hearth signed.
"I can help out in a fashion crisis. We all already know that I'm good at making things." Alex gave a wry smile and nodded. Hearth began signing again, and Blitz said aloud what the elf was silently saying.
"Heath says he's more than happy to use his magic. And the cards."
"Cool beans," Magnus looked at me, "So, I know we talked about it briefly, but what exactly can you do Isabella?" I crossed my arms self consciously over my chest. I was used to working on my own, all this team work was odd. I cleared my throat.
"Uhm, well I can control shadows, travel in them. I guess that can be useful for a quick escape, although I haven't practiced much with it, and I can't cover long distances all in one go."
"That will come in handy," Blitz spoke, "where we're going there will probably be a lot of shadows." I glanced at him. He caught my eyes, and I quickly turned away, raising my eyebrows.
"I can also control the dead, you know, summon skeletons. If I absolutely had to, I could see if I can control you two," I looked at Alex and Magnus. Alex began shaking his head. He stood and advanced threateningly. I felt a pull in my gut, a knee jerk reaction. Tendrils of shadow started unfurling from my hands.
"No. No way. You are not doing that," he turned to Magnus, " I told you we couldn't trust her. I said, I said," his voice had gotten louder and louder, until Magnus grabbed him by the shoulders and cut him off.
"Babe. Stop. It's okay, I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it." Alex struggled in Magnus's arms but he held him firm. "Alex," a grunt as he struggled to contain the green haired boy, "Alex, Alex look at me. Look at me. Calm down. If you need to go outside, I'll go with you. It's okay." Alex relented, huffed and nodded. Magnus took his hand and led Alex to the door. He turned back and gave me a kind smile as he stepped outside, then he pulled the door shut behind him.
"Well that was awkward." Blitz grinned. Hearth made a disgruntled noise and lightly hit Blitz on his knee. "Ow!" Blitz exclaimed, "What was that for?" Hearth just sighed and rolled his eyes at me. I decided I liked the elf.