Knock Knock! Knock Knock! KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK-

  Johan groaned as the loud knocking woke him up. He raised his face from the pillows and slowly pushed up to his elbows as he sluggishly looked to the door where the knocking kept on.

  The sun was shining in through the windows and he was sleeping on top of a lot of blankets spread out on the floor between the couches.

  Where was the table?

  His head hurt. How did he get back home?

  “Who is it?” A voice croaked from beside him and Johan looked down to see Note on the single bare spot on the floor, still pretty much asleep.

  Knock Knock-

  “Oh, come on.” Johan groaned and flopped back down, hiding his face in his arms. It was way too early for this.

  “I’ll get it.” Note said and got up. Johan watched as Note waddled unbalanced towards the door, hand on his head.

  Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock

  It seemed like the knocking only got louder and more erratic as Note moved towards the door.

  A groan came from the couch, then a croaked “Who is it?”.

  Johan hadn’t noticed them at first but both Signe and Vero were sleeping on one of the couches while the other one was empty, only missing a cushion. Signe was completely hidden beneath Vero who was laying on top of her, one blanket covering both of them. Johan only knew she was there because of the green hair and the white skirt hanging off of the edge of the couch and pooling on the ground.

  “Can you breathe like that?” Johan asked. There was movement and a low hiss from Vero, then Signe’s pale face appeared, deep circles and black makeup smudged around her eyes as she squinted at the door.

  Knock Knock Knock Knock- Creak

  More sunlight entered the room as the door opened.

  Their guest stomped inside, straight past Note and Johan pushed himself up again.

  “Where is that damn bastard?!” Uflhild screamed, storming through the room, dragging the blanket off Signe and Vero then throwing it back on before stomping into the kitchen and then the bathroom in quick succession.

  “Which one?” Johan asked drily, eyeing Note by the door.

  “Frey!” Oh. That bastard.

  “Uhh.” Johan looked around. Well, he didn’t know where that bastard was. It didn’t seem like he was in their house.

  Without waiting for an answer Ulfhild took off up the stairs and into the bedroom.

  “Ouch!”

  Oh so he was in their house. Johan turned to watch as Ulfhild appeared in the bedroom doorway, dragging Frey out and down the stairs by the ear. Johan jumped as she threw him down next to him.

  “Where is my son?!” She screamed at him.

  “I dropped Einar off last night, what are you talking about you crazy hag?!” Frey jumped over the couch to hide.

  “My other son!” Ulfhild screamed.

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  “Emil is missing?” Johan asked, mildly concerned.

  “He!” Ulfhild pointed her finger at Frey, eyes so wide Johan could see the whites above her iris. “Kidnapped him!”

  Johan’s jaw dropped. He glanced over his shoulder and Frey met his eyes, shaking his head vehemently. Johan sat up.

  “Uhh, I don’t think he would do that.” Where would he even bring him? Frey didn’t have a house.

  “I would never!” Frey yelled.

  “Then where is he!”

  “In the Ethereal City!” A loud slap followed and a muffled- “Shit.”

  Johan’s jaw dropped again. Frey had a hand over his mouth, a guilty expression on his face. Johan looked to Note, who was standing frozen by the door with eyes wide.

  “In the Ethereal City?!” Ulfhild screeched.

  Johan felt his eye twitch when Frey didn’t answer. He turned and snapped. “Why?!”

  “He got invited to a gallery!” The sin finally answered. Ulfhild gasped deeply.

  “That damn astounding boy.” Ulfhild whispered. “He left the island at a time like this?! To show off those paintings?!”

  Paintings? What paintings-

  Johan’s breath caught in his throat. “No…”

  The guilty look Frey threw him confirmed it.

  “We’re so dead.” Johan muttered, head in his hands. To be indirectly killed by a painter of all people. He stared at the floor, panic rushing through him, his head pounding. What were they going to do?!

  “What have you done?!” Vero demanded Frey, throwing off the blanket and stomping over to grab him by the shoulders.

  “I..” Frey looked around for help, “It’s a good opportunity for him!”

  Johan let his arms fall, his body was ice cold, his hands shaking. This was all just a dream right? It wasn’t actually happening, right?

  “You want Greed to know where we are?” Signe snapped at him.

  Frey made a sound and Vero slapped him. “Are you crazy, they will find us! How could you let him go?!” Vero yelled and shoved him hard. Frey’s breath hitched at her words and he went pale, stumbling over his feet.

  The room went silent. Then finally Ulfhild spoke up.

  “Johan.” She started quietly. “I’m sorry. I hate to ask you this at this time, but Trym broke his leg last night and I can’t leave him and Einar alone. Odin and Hilda went to Solstad with their kids and the rest are out fishing. I’m the only healer on this island and Astrid is ready to go at any moment…”

  She didn’t finish but Johan knew what she was asking. She wanted them to go there and bring Emil back home.

  They were supposed to be laying low.

  “I don’t know the way there.” Johan whispered. “I have no idea what direction he could have taken or where we could catch up to him.”

  “I do.” Frey piped up. “I didn’t think so- Shit, I’m sorry. I know the way, I’ll take us there.”

  -

  And so it was confirmed. The five of them would go to hopefully intercept Emil before he could get to the gallery. Unfortunately The Ethereal City was a whole day away on boat and Emil had a huge head start. They had only been woken up by Ulfhild at midday and Emil had left as soon as the party ended the night before.

  Within an hour they had changed into proper non-party clothing and gathered what they needed for the trip, some food and their weapons. Emil had taken Ulfhild’s map and they had to dig through Odin’s house to get another one for Frey to use. Finally after almost two hours, they were all on the boat and on their way to a city Johan had never been in before.

  And it was hell. Johan laid pitifully on the wood floor and groaned with the boat’s every movement. He should not have drunk so much at the party-

  He groaned in unison with both Note and Signe as they went over a particularly evil wave. Unfortunately he was hungover but luckily he could share the misery. He had thrown up over the side of the boat just a few minutes ago, and a couple minutes before that and-

  Point was. It was hell. Not only that, but it was way too bright for him to try and sleep.

  “Sit up, Johan. It’ll help.” Note said from where he was sitting curled up at the back of the boat.

  Johan glared up at Frey where he was rowing with Vero. “You better be rowing quickly.”

  In Frey’s defense he didn’t even snap back, instead he looked more guilty.

  Johan sighed, glancing at Signe beside him where she laid face down on the floor, hair spread out around her. The newlywed’s first outing…

  “Here.” Johan looked up through bleary eyes at Note who was holding something dark out to him. “It’s my jacket.”

  Oh. Johan reached up but instead of giving it to him, Note sat down next to him. Johan closed his eyes again and let his arm fall back over them, trying to cover as much of the sunlight as possible. A second later his upper arms were grabbed and he was gently pulled up and his head laid down on something slightly softer than the wood.

  “Stop it.” Johan groaned as Note pulled his arm away, but the sun only blinded him for a moment before Note put his folded jacket over his eyes.

  “Oh, thanks.” Johan mumbled and after an hour of torment he finally fell asleep.